The handling of firearms on the Santa Fe, New Mexico set of Rust was said to be ‘green,’ ‘immature’ and ‘lackadaisical.’
Some people who worked on the set before the shooting saw Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer, killed, and Joel Souza wounded are reported to be horrified at what they saw.
Others working on the film captured images of the apparently poor safety measures regarding weapons.
One photo shows Hannah Gutierrez Reed (24 years old) standing with two women and an Old West rifle.
Rust’s set’s gun handlers are described as “green”, “immature”, and “lackadaisical”. Hannah Gutierrez Reed was 24 years old, pictured as the armorer.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed holds a gun on set for a film in an image that was taken from social media. One source has provided information about several incidents in which guns were left unattended or improperly held.
In the photograph described by Fox News but not published, the barrel of the rifle can be seen resting against the stomach of one of the women all the while Gutierrez Reed is on the phone.
According to some reports, the butt of another gun is propped against the women’s hip. A third woman is holding a revolver in her grip with wires tangled with its barrel pointing toward the ground.
Fox’s source claimed that people didn’t understand the rules and also gave details of other apparently unsafe episodes.
Gutierrez-Redes gave Gutierrez-Rede a revolver in another instance. Gutierrez was said to be ‘playing on her smartphone’ while sitting down on the ground. The gun was allegedly taken by Gutierrez Reed without her looking up, and she then said that she tucked the weapon into her waistband.
The source stated that such stuff seemed unprofessional, and did not foster a sense of professionalism or safety. She says that she received her training from her father. [famed Hollywood armorer Thell Reed]You think that she is a good hire due to her connections.
CIRCLED LEFT TO RIGHT, Alec Baldwin and Halyna Utchins with Hannah Gutierrez Reed, an armorer, on the Rust set in Santa Fe (New Mexico) earlier in October
Production’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, 24, has been our focus
Halyna HUTCHINS was on Rust. Alec Baldwin’s set when she shot a beer can with live ammunition.
Many armorers have a military background and are often well-trained.
The cameramen Lane Luper, who were fired by the production, said that the crew of armory men working with Gutierrez Reed was ‘three inexperienced persons’.
“It’s fine to use a [low-budget production]It is not a good idea to employ inexperienced employees, but department heads and people who handle firearms should be. It seemed that she was under tremendous pressure to get things done quickly.
Rust believes that it was the perfect storm, according to him, of Rust the armorer, Rust the assistant director and the culture present on the set. The rushing was also a factor. He also spoke to Good Morning America about what led to the shooting.
‘It wasn’t just one individual. It took everything to come together for the one-in-a trillion thing to occur.
Luper stated in his resignation that there were two accidental weapons discharges and an accidental sound effects explosion around the crew.
Luper explained that none of the shows Luper has worked as a camera assistant in 10 years have shown such a disregard for safety.
Luper Lane has criticized the film’s production as one that created the perfect storm for the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins
Luper stated that two accidents of weapon discharge occurred on the set before and that only two safety meetings were held that included all crew members.
He then disputed the producers’ claim that safety was a top priority on set, saying, ‘I only personally remember two safety meetings that involved the entire crew.’
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyer defended Gutierrez Reed’s role as an armourer Thursday.
Her father Thell trained Hannah well, and she worked on her sets since the age of 10. She was very careful to keep the sets safe.
Bowles referred to the fact that real bullets had been found on set and said, “Never in a million decades did Hannah believe that live rounds could’ve been contained in the dummy’ box.”
Hannah Gutierrez Reed received training from her father Thell Reed. This was in 1966. Since she was 10 years old, she had been working with her father on sets.
Thell Reed, Hollywood’s gun-handler and trainer is seen in the picture below from July 2020. According to reports, he taught his daughter how to do the same job.
‘What the f**k just happened?’ Baldwin, a cast member and crew member asked after the shot had gone off. Hutchins was then reported to have suddenly fallen back in Serge Svetnoy’s arms.
David Halls, Rust Assistant Director, allegedly gave Baldwin a loaded.45 revolver
“Who put these in there?” is the key question. Hannah secured the guns, even during lunch, and ordered her department to monitor the cart with the guns whenever she left for other duties, or for a break.
According to Warrants from last week, Baldwin received a loaded.45 revolver during rehearsals.
He said that the gun was not loaded and it was cold. Halls did not know there was actually a bullet inside.
Baldwin practiced his cross-draw maneuver. A bullet came out of the barrel and passed through Hutchins body, before landing in the director’s shoulder.
Gutierrez Reed stated to detectives that she had verified the weapon contained dummy ammunition earlier in day, adding that no live ammunition was ever stored on the set.
Pictured: Hutchins, just before Baldwin would fire his gun
It took place at Bonanza Creek Ranch, just outside Santa Fe.
But last week, Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that a mix of dummy rounds, blanks and real bullets were all found on set.
Live rounds and dummies can often appear nearly identical.
Authorities were trying to determine who had the gun, before Baldwin took the fatal shot on Oct 21.
It’s believed the gun came into contact with at least four people in the hours prior to the firing and included Baldwin, Gutierrez Reed, Halls and the film’s prop master Sarah Zachry.
Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department claims all of the involved were cooperative with police. However, particular attention has been paid to Gutierrez and Halls’ actions.
Gutierrez Reed is not a suspect in the Hutchins murder, nor has she been charged. She retains legal counsel.
The exact mechanism by which the live bullet entered the gun and shot Halyna Hutchins (pictured), is still not known.
Baldwin is seen here after being interrogated just hours after Hutchins’ shooting. He called Hutchins his “friend”.
The gun that went off in Alec Baldwin’s hands and took the life of Halyna HUTCHINS was used by crew members for target practice. Sources claim live ammunition and blanks were kept together.
Alec Baldwin was holding a Colt 1911 pistol
According to sources close to western movie production, the crew had used the gun which killed Alec Baldwin’s cinematographer for target practice.
Multiple sources who were connected to Rust said that Crew members used the Colt pistol for recreational purposes.
According to sources, crew members were supposed to practice target shooting with actual bullets. Some believe that an extra round left over from practice sessions was transferred onto the set.
Another source said to TMZ, that both live ammunition and blanks were stored at the set’s same location. This could be another explanation for how a bullet came from Baldwin’s Colt.
According to a Friday search warrant, Hannah Gutierrez Rice, a Rust armer, had placed three guns outside of the location. First assistant director Dave Halls took the Colt from his cart and brought it into Baldwin. He was unaware it contained live ammunition.
“Cold gun!” Halls shouted before handing the gun to Baldwin. Halls shouted “Cold gun!” Before handing Baldwin his gun, Baldwin used the phrase to indicate to the cast and crew that it was safe for them to fire on the scene.
Baldwin was filming an Old West-style scene in a church and accidentally killed Hutchins. Souza stood by her.
Sources familiar with Gutierrez Reed’s production said that this wasn’t the first incident she had on set.
Two sources informed The Daily Beast by saying that Hannah Gutierrez–Reed allegedly gave an actress aged 11 a gun, without properly inspecting it while she was on set for Nicholas Cage’s film The Old Way.
Sources said, “There were two times that she was loading blanks in a way we felt was unsafe.”
“She was somewhat careless when it came to guns, and she would wave them around every once in a while.”
Rust sources claim that the tragic incident that left Hutchins dead at 42 and Souza injured at 48 was the result of top-to-bottom production problems.
They said that Baldwin was handed the gun by Halls the assistant director, and said it was safe.
One source on the set stated that he was supposed to be our last defense, and he had failed us. “He’s not supposed to be looking at the firearm.”
The Daily Beast was told by a source from Rust Productions that at least two incidents in which guns were accidentally fired on-set had occurred before the tragic accident.
GutierrezReed’s source describes him as ‘inexperienced’ and ‘green.