Sources close to the western film’s production claim that crew members had used the gun that killed Alec Baldwin’s cinematographer on set of Rust for target practice.
Multiple sources close to the Rust set told TMZ that crew members had used the Colt pistol recreationally before it went off in Alec Baldwin’s hands, killing Halyna Houtchins and injuring Joel Souza.
Sources claim that crew members would practice target shooting with real bullets. Others believe that a live round from practice sessions made it onto the set.
Another source said to TMZ that live ammunition and blanks were stored in the same area as the set. This could be another explanation for how a bullet was fired out of Baldwin’s Colt.
Alec Baldwin was holding a Colt pistol from the past when it accidentally went off. It is not known who loaded the weapon and why it went off as a replacement crew was brought in the day of the incident (The gun pictured above is a vintage Colt pistol manufactured between 1873-92. Although the exact model of gun used is not known, Rust was set in the 1880s.
On Thursday, Halyna Hutchin was accidentally pierced by the colt pistol.
After accidentally shooting and killing the cinematographer, Alec Baldwin is seen outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Sources on the set of Rust said the incident that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins could be tied to the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
Friday’s search warrant revealed that Hannah Gutierrez Rice, Rust armorer, had placed three prop guns on a cart outside of the filming location. First assistant director Dave Halls then grabbed the Colt from that cart and brought it inside to Baldwin. He was unaware that it was loaded up with live rounds.
“Cold gun!” 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.
Baldwin, filming an Old West-style scene in a church, apparently aimed at the camera and pulled out the trigger. She reportedly accidentally killed Hutchins while filming him and also injured Souza, who stood by her.
Two production sources familiar with Gutierrez Reed’s work said that it wasn’t the first time she had been involved in an incident at a movie set.
The Daily Beast was told by two sources that Hannah Gutierrez -Reed had allegedly given an actress aged 11 a gun while filming The Old Way, Nicholas Cage’s film. She didn’t check it properly.
Sources said that there were a few instances when she was loading blanks and doing so in a way that was dangerous.
“She was a little careless with guns, waving it around every so often.”
Hannah Gutierrez – Reed, the 24-year old head armorer who is responsible for guns on Alec Baldwin film
A search warrant released Friday said first assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds
Aerial view of Bonanza Creek Ranch, Santa Fe, where the movie was being shot. 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.
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 was supposed to be our last line defense and that he had failed us. “He’s the last person who’s supposed to look at this firearm.”
According to a Rust production source, there have been at least two other instances of guns accidentally being discharged by crew members on set prior to Thursday’s tragic incident.
GutierrezReed was described as ‘inexperienced’ and ‘green’ by the source.
GutierrezReed had previously admitted that she wasn’t ready for The Old Way when she interviewed before filming began.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was the head armorer for The Old Way, said that she almost turned down the job because she wasn’t sure if it was right for her.
The tragedy has forced the production to halt. A spokesperson for Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department said that they are investigating and “collecting evidence” in the wake of Friday’s tragedy.
In her podcast interview, she also revealed that she found loading blanks into guns ‘the scariest’ because she didn’t know how and had sought help form her father, Thell Reed (respected gunsmith), to overcome the fear.
The film crew has just revealed that they left the set hours before the fatal accident because of safety concerns. Three firearms were accidentally discharged, including one by Baldwin’s stunt double, who was told the gun wasn’t loaded. It also happened twice in a closed-cabin.
Neither Halls or Gutierrez-Reed responded to DailyMail.com messages on Friday night. Despite the ongoing police investigation, neither Halls nor Gutierrez-Reed have been charged or named as criminal suspects in the case.
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, an armorer took possession the gun and a used casing. They were turned over along with other prop guns as well as ammunition to police.
Baldwin also took off the Western costume he was currently wearing, which was stained with blood and gave it to police.
Although the warrant doesn’t reveal the model or the caliber of the gun that fired the fatal shot, the film is set in the Old West in the 1880s. DailyMail.com learned it was a Colt.
Friday’s warrant was obtained to allow investigators to document the scene at ranch where shooting took place.
Hours before the fatal shooting, unionized workers walked off the set complaining about long hours and poor conditions. They also complained about another safety incident that occurred days earlier, which involved ‘two misfires of a prop weapon.
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 not clear if Gutierrez-Reed was a recent addition to the production or if he was one of the crew members who remained behind after the walkoff.
However, a link in her Instagram Bio points to an article from May about Rust, which suggests she was attached to the production for some while.
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 were surprised to discover that they had been replaced by locals when they arrived to clear their stuff 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 didn’t respond to DailyMail.com’s repeated requests for comment on Friday regarding the incident. However, members of the union representing many of the crew involved in the production stated that they had expressed concerns about safety on-set.
Baldwin addressed the tragedy via Twitter on Friday. I fully support 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-year-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 is enormous, and we ask that the media please respect my family’s privacy as we process our grief. We are grateful to everyone who shared images and stories about her life.
His Facebook profile picture shows a photo of his 16-year-old wife. His bio now says: “We miss you, 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 also grief counselors at the service.
DailyMail.com received a statement from the husband confirming that he had spoken to Alec Baldwin on Friday morning. Alec Baldwin has been supportive of my family, he stated.
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.
Matthew Hutchins, Matthew Hutchins’ husband, said exclusively to DailyMail.com: ‘I spoke with Alec Baldwin. He is very supportive’
Zak Knight, a pyrotechnics and special effects engineer, said on Friday that there should never have been live rounds on a movie sets. That’s number one. Number two is that every person on a movie-set has the right to inspect any weapon before it’s fired. Number three is that there is no reason for anyone to ever be in direct contact with a weapon that is firing.
“A movie in which the barrel is pointed down to the camera lens should not have an operator behind it. It is clear that the gun was pointed directly towards two people because of these considerations.
DailyMail.com legal experts state that Alec Baldwin lawsuits are almost certain. However, criminal charges for anyone who loaded the gun are more likely to be brought against him.
“We would have also had a barrier between their eyes.” He said that a large number of people did not follow our protocols… each accident is a series of events.
Knight claimed that whatever happened in the hours leading to her death, it was due to a ‘cascade failures’ by many people. We have a strict rule that no live ammunition is allowed to enter a prop truck or set at anytime. It’s just not possible.
‘If bullets are seen on set, they are complete mockup rounds and in no way functional. This goes back to Brandon Lee. There’s a protocol. Lee was also shot by another actor with a prop gun loaded with live ammunition during filming of The Crow in 1993.
Knight said that there may have been differences in gun laws between New Mexico State and California. California’s film sets require both a trained armourer and a prop master. These are the same standards the union adheres too.
Los Angeles will have the best and most skilled people. He said that it is impossible to guarantee this as you travel across the country.
Alec Baldwin tragedy kills ‘kind and loving’ cinematographer: Ukraine-born Halyna Hutchins (42), was raised on a Soviet military base that was surrounded by nuclear submarines. She was trained as a journalist and was considered a rising star in Hollywood.
Sun streaming from above, Halyna Houtchins, cinematographer smiles into the camera while she films herself riding into the New Mexico desert on horseback.
This was the last Instagram photo that the mother-of-one, a married mother-of-1, shared before Alec Baldwin accidentally shot a prop gun during a scene he was filming for a Western on a ranch near Santa Fe.
Halyna, 42 years old, was born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military bases’surrounded by nuclear submarines and reindeer’. She had previously trained as a journalist before moving to Los Angeles where she had established her career and started a family.
Halyna was born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military bases’surrounded by reindeer, submarines, and submarines’. She was about to embark on a project in Ireland but was set for a bright future in Hollywood after her tragic death. Pictured in 2018
Her social media profiles show a clear portrait of a fun-loving, free-spirited friend, many of whom have paid tribute. A touching post from Stephanie, a close friend
Friends remember Halyna as a kind and loving soul. She lived in Venice Beach, California with Matthew, her husband, and their son Andros.
“Halyna loved him so deeply and enjoyed watching him become the handsome boy that he is today,” one friend wrote in an emotional Instagram tribute. “I know she is looking after Matt in this horribly frightening time.
Halyna’s smile lights up social media photos with a sense of adventure and playfulness.
She was highly regarded by her peers, and was considered a ‘rising star” by other cinematographers. Adam Mortimer, a friend, colleague, and director of the film, said to GMB that she was a person who was devoted to art and integrity. ‘I could tell that she was going be a genius.
Halya (right), on a December 2018 visit to Kiev. She was born on a military base in Ukraine and went to school at the National University of Kyiv where she studied International Journalism.
Friends recall Halyna as a ‘kind and loving soul’. She lived in Venice Beach with Matthew, a lawyer and their son Andros.
Baldwin, 62, was filming scenes for Rust, when the gun went off. Hutchins died, and Joel Souza (48), was injured. The incident took place at at Bonanza Creek Ranch.
Hutchins was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital by an air ambulance, but was declared dead shortly afterwards.
Souza was taken by ambulance from his home to the Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center. Although his exact condition remains unknown, Souza has since been released.
Will Stewart, Daily Mail’s Moscow correspondent explained how Halyna worked for him during the mid-2000s.
“This is a devastating and uncomprehensible news regarding the death of Halyna Houtchins. After graduating from a local university, she was trained in International Journalism and worked for my news agency in Kyiv.
“Halyna was involved with many stories for British newspapers, magazines, but she had a special talent in documentaries, which was perhaps her first exposure to film, and in which she went on so well in America.
“At this time, while she was still with us, in 2006 she was Associate Producer on a Discovery Channel documentary on Ukrainian icon Leonid Stanyk called World’s Tallest Man. It was made by British company Wild Pictures.
‘She was instrumental to Mr Stadnyk feeling at home participating in the documentary, which focused on the problems associated with being extraordinarily tall.
“The film was made by Richard Denton, a leading British director, with Paul Hamann, former Head of Documentaries at BBC, as executive producer. Without her, it wouldn’t have happened.
“Mr Stadnyk is a shy man who trusted Halyna, after refusing many other film offers. He thanked her for her trust and thanked her for it.
‘Pictures in advance of the film show him towering over Halyna’s home in the village Podoliantsy.
“She later traveled to the USA with her husband Matt. She achieved great things due to her enormous talent and creativity, but also her unwavering determination to learn and study.
“She once said to my Russian colleagues that she felt like she was a perpetual student of America. But her efforts paid off and she got the success she deserved.
“It is tragic that she died in such an inexplicable and cruel way while doing the job she loved.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Matt, their son, and Halyna’s family in Ukraine.
Richard Denton is the producer behind Shakespeare Uncovered, and many films in former USSR. He said today that Halyna has been the most wonderful, vibrant, lively, and positive person to have worked with.
“She was friendly and extremely helpful. She was able to translate interviews and make Leonid’s horse go in the right direction.
“She was totally unpretentious and incredibly professionally.
Her death was’senseless, stupid’