The investigation continues into howAlec Baldwin fired a loaded weapon while making a movie in New Mexico.
Friends described Baldwin as distraught. The weapon he was handed for a movie scene had a lethal projectile. He pulled the trigger, killing the cinematographer and wounding the director. What we know, so far, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times,New York Times,The Wrap,TMZ and People magazine:
- The accident occurred during a scene rehearsal. The camera team huddled together to review the camera framing.
- One bullet went “straight through”Halyna Hutchins and struck the director’s shoulder.
- An assistant director handed the weapon to Baldwin and told him it was “cold” -- meaning not loaded with blanks or ammunition.
- The gun that Alec Baldwin fired was reportedly used previously for “target practice.”
- Authorities retrieved his blood-stained costume as evidence.
- The person responsible for guns, 24-year-oldHannah Reed, was on just her second film shoot. She’s deleted her social media.
- The prior weekend, the movie had two other “accidental prop gun discharges.”
- On the day of the incident, a half-dozen crew members walked off the set in protest of working conditions on the low-budget movie.
- A crew member complained, (quote) “There were no safety meetings. There was no assurance that it wouldn’t happen again. All they wanted to do was rush, rush, rush.”
- Alec Baldwin may bear legal responsibility as the film’s producer.
- Both Baldwin and the person who loaded the gun could face an involuntary manslaughter charge. The penalty in New Mexico is 18-months behind bars.
- Saturday morning, Alec Baldwin joined the husband of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins for breakfast. Afterward, Matthew Hutchins said, (quote) “He is being very supportive.”
With all that being said, I was scrolling through TikTok and came across this interesting video of a film/TV Prop master who's content on social media is all about showcasing how props work and showing us the behind the scene look of things. In this video he shares his take of the tragedy that too place on the set of Rust. Check it out...