Brandon Lee’s fiancée has called for a ban on real guns on movie sets while speaking out for the first time on Alec Baldwin accidentally shooting and killing a cinematographer on the set of his movie Rust.
Eliza Hutton, 57, said that the accident that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza was yet another ‘avoidable tragedy’ like the one that claimed her fiancée’s life while he was shooting The Crow in 1993.
‘Twenty-eight years ago, my heart was broken by the shock of losing Brandon Lee, my love, so senselessly. My heart aches now for Halyna and her husband, as well for all those left in the aftermath of this avoidable tragedy’ Hutton stated to PEOPLE.
She said, “I urge people in positions to make changes to consider alternatives to real firearms on sets,” she added.
Eliza Hutton, left, is pictured with Brandon Lee, 1992. Hutton condemned the use real guns on movie sets, which led to Lee’s death during filming of The Crow.
Rust cinematographer Halyna Utchins was accidentally shot by Alec Baldwin while filming Rust last Week. Baldwin used a Colt revolver in vintage-style to shoot the scene.
After accidentally shooting and killing a cinematographer, Baldwin is seen outside Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Lee’s family took to Twitter following the shooting to say that no one should be shot on a film set. No.
Hutton and Lee were set to wed following the production of The Crow. However, two weeks prior to everything was finished, Lee was shot and killed in a shooting accident. The gun was meant to hold blanks and was used by another actor.
Ian Hudson, Rust actor, said that Lee’s death was brought up several times on the set because he and his fellow actors became concerned about the guns being used before Hutchins’s death.
‘We’re doing it the same way they did it then 30 years ago. Gotta double check. Hudson stated to TMZ that you must double-check.
Lee and Hutton, pictured in 1991. Lee was shot and killed just two weeks before their wedding.
Lee’s family shared their condolences in a tweet.
Ian Hudson, pictured on Rust’s sets, said that he was worried about gun safety because he and his fellow actor friends often checked their weapons multiple time.
Hudson stated that he was shocked at how intense the guns used in the film were. Even the blanks that were struck the cast members were very powerful. Hudson was shot by several actors during a scene.
He stated, “I would talk with my fellow cast members afterwards, and we would talk about the intensity that was, and how scary, and surreal that were,”
The actor said that he finally ‘held his tongue’ over all his worries, because he is still relatively new in the business. He didn’t want to cause any trouble.
Hudson said that other actors would double- and triple-check their weapons no matter what, regardless of whether or not they were authorized by the film’s staff and armorer.
Hudson also defended Rust’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez – Reed, 24, who prepared and fired the gun that killed Hutchins, and put it in Baldwin’s hand.
He said that the rookie armorer had been praised by the director for her handling of weapons, but added that production was’speedy.
Gutierrez Reed was a former film crew member who stated that Gutierrez-Reed has a history of recklessness when it comes to guns.
Sources on the set of Rust said the incident that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins could be tied to the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
Ian Hudson defended Gutierrez-Reed, saying she was doing a good job while on set
Sources accused Gutierrez-Reed of loading a weapon on the pebble-filled ground and handing it to child actress, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, 11, without conducting a proper inspection on the set of Nicholas Cage’s The Old Way
According to The Daily Beast, ‘She was a bit careless when it came to guns, waving them around every now and then,’ the source said. “There were times when she loaded the blanks and did it in a way we thought was unsafe.
Another source claimed Gutierrez-Reed loaded a weapon on the pebble-filled soil and handed it to Ryan Kiera Armstrong, a child actress, without any inspection.
“She was reloading her gun on the ground, where there was pebbles and other stuff. We didn’t see her check it. We didn’t know if anything got into the barrel or not,” a source who worked alongside her set of The Old Way by Nicolas Cage said.
The individual stated that the crew waited to film the incident until Gutierrez-Reed had double-checked the barrel for obstruction.
Gutierrez-Reed previously stated that she wasn’t sure she was up for the job on The Old Way, in an interview before filming began.
Gutierrez-Reed, who was the head of the firearms department in The Old Way, starring Nicolas Cage, said that she almost turned down the job. However, she did not regret it. It was her first time as an armorer.
In the podcast interview, she also said that loading blanks into guns was the scariest thing she had ever done. She didn’t know how to do it so she sought help from Thell Reed, a legendary gunsmith, to overcome her fear.
Hannah Gutierrez – Reed, the 24-year old head armorer responsible for guns on Alec Baldwin film, stated in an interview that she wasn’t sure if she was ready to do the job.
A search warrant released Friday said that Gutierrez-Reed laid out three prop guns on a cart outside the filming location, and first assistant director Dave Halls (pictured) grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Alec Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds
Aerial view from Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe where the movie was being made. Workers were protesting the fact that they wouldn’t be paid to stay in Santa Fe hotels and motels, so they had to drive an hour from Albuquerque.
Gutierrez Reed was described by a Rust crewmate as being “inexperienced” and “green,” claiming that there had been at minimum two incidents of guns being fired on the set prior to Thursday’s fatal accident.
Rust crew members claim that several complaints were made against the set’s armorer and that at least six ‘fedup’ people walked off the set before Gutierrez–Reed handed Baldwin his gun that killed Hutchins.
Crew members complained directly to Dave Hall, assistant director – who is identified in the search warrant. Hall is the one who gave Baldwin the gun that killed Hutchins. He also told him it was safe. Hall demanded documentation of all discharges.
‘All of our shouts went up at him. ‘That better go on the production report. These guys are irresponsible, and shouldn’t have been here,’ a production source stated.
“That should be grounds for termination on a union movie set. You should be fired. The entire department should have had its guns fired the first time without anyone knowing. Evidently, production decided to gamble and pay the ultimate cost.
Baldwin and Hutchins (circled), are seen together on the set for Rust in an Instagram photo she posted two days ago that said the crew of Rust were supporting a strike of the IATSE union.
Friday’s search warrant revealed that GutierrezReed had placed three prop guns on a cart near the filming location. Dave Halls, the first assistant director, grabbed the gun from the cart, and brought it inside to Alec Baldwin. He was unaware that the gun was loaded with live ammunition.
“Cold gun!” Halls shouted before handing the gun to Baldwin. Halls shouted, “Cold gun!” before handing Baldwin the gun. The phrase was used to signal to the cast and crew that it was safe to fire at the scene, according to the warrant.
Seconds later, while filming a scene in an Old West-style church, Baldwin apparently pointed at the camera and pulled the trigger. This accidentally killed Halyna Hutchins and injured Joel Souza, who stood by her.
Sources close to the Rust family claim that the fatal incident that killed Hutchins (42), and injured Souza (48) was caused by production failures from the top.
They also stated that Halls, the assistant director, handed Baldwin the gun and said it was safe.
One source on set stated that ‘He’s supposed be our last line and he failed us’. “He’s not supposed to be looking at that firearm.”
According to a Rust production source The Daily Beast, there have been at most two instances in which guns were accidentally discharged on set by other crew members before Thursday’s tragic accident.
DailyMail.com exclusively learned that the gun that fired the fatal shot in the shooting was a Colt revolver of vintage design.
After the shooting, the armorer claimed the gun and the spent casing. These were turned over to the police along with other prop guns, ammunition, and ammunition.
Baldwin also took off the Western costume he was currently wearing, which was stained with blood and gave it to police.
Although the warrant does not identify the model or caliber, DailyMail.com has learned that the prop gun used to fire the fatal bullet was a Colt.
Friday’s warrant was obtained to allow investigators to document the scene at ranch where shooting occurred.
Hours before the fatal shooting, unionized workers had walked out of the set after complaining about long hours, poor conditions, and another safety incident involving ‘two misfires’ of a prop gun.
According to a source, the prop master was a non-union worker who was ‘just hired’ to replace workers who had left due to safety concerns.
It is unclear if Gutierrez Reed, the armorer, was just joining the production, or if he was one the crew members who stayed behind following the walk-off.
However, her Instagram bio links to an article about Rust dating back to May. This suggests that she was involved in the production for some time.
According to sources cited by The Los Angeles Times as well as multiple social media posts by TV and film insiders, unionized workers had complained about having to stay in Albuquerque for the night.
They found out that locals had replaced them when they showed up to clean their belongings on Thursday.
It raises questions about who these local workers were, their training, and how extensive they checked the weapon before it was handed over to Baldwin.
Deadline also cites an anonymous source who claimed that a gun had been set off “in a cabin” while someone was holding it, days before the shooting that killed Hutchins.
“A gun had two misfires inside a closed cabin. They just fired loud pops – a person was just holding it in their hands and it went off,’ they said, apparently referring to unintentional discharges.
Rust Production LLC refused to respond to DailyMail.com’s multiple requests for comment. However, union members representing many of those involved in the production claimed they had expressed concerns about on-set safety.
Baldwin first spoke out on Twitter Friday, saying: “There are no words that can express my shock and sadness at the tragic accident that claimed the life of Halyna HUTCHINS, a wife and mother, and highly admired colleague of mine. I fully cooperate with the police investigation into how this tragedy occurred. I am also in touch with her husband and offer my support to him. My heart breaks for her husband, their son and all those who loved Halyna.
He then tweeted a Variety article titled Alec Baldwin was Told Prop gun Was Safe Before Fatal shooting, Affidavit states.
After speaking with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department about the shooting, he was shown looking in pain on Thursday.
Hutchins husband shared a touching tribute for his wife on Twitter Friday. Matthew Hutchins posted a photo of his wife and their son, 9-years-old Andros on Friday. The caption read: “Halyna instilled us all with her passion for vision, and her legacy too meaningful to be encapsulated in words.
“Our loss was immense. We ask that the media respect my family’s privacy during our time of grief. We thank everyone who shared images and stories from her life.
His Facebook profile picture is a photo taken by the couple, who were married for 16 years. His bio now reads: “We miss your, Halyna.”
ShowBiz411 reported that a private memorial was held last night in Santa Fe with Baldwin, Andros, Matthew and Andros in attendance. According to ShowBiz411, there were grief counselors present at the service.
DailyMail.com’s husband, who was in shock, said that he had spoken to the actor on Friday morning. He said that he had spoken to Alec Baldwin and that he was being supportive.