Nearly a week ago, Hollywood staple Alec Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while on the set of a new western film.
Baldwin was said to be practicing drawing the gun when the trigger was pulled, and a live round of ammunition struck both Hutchins and another member of the team. The live round, it appears, was still in the weapon from an earlier, free-time target practice session that unbelievably used live rounds.
Now, to make matters even worse, another stunning instance of utter negligence has been revealed as well.
The crew member responsible for overall safety on the set of Rust has admitted he didn’t properly check the gun that Alec Baldwin fired on October 21 and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
“During an interview with David Halls, when Affiant asked David about the safety protocol on set in regards to firearms, he advised, ‘I check the barrel for obstructions, most of the time there’s no live fire, she [Hannah] opens the hatch and spins the drum, and I say cold gun on set,’” reveals an affidavit successfully submitted by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office for a new search warrant issued today (read the search warrant here).
And then:
“David advised when Hannah showed him the firearm before continuing rehearsal, he could only remember seeing three rounds,” the filing adds, noting the interaction that afternoon last week between the First AD and armorer Hannah Gutierrez.
“He advised he should have checked all of them, but didn’t, and couldn’t recall if she spun the drum,” the affidavit bluntly states of the crew member who has emerged at the core of this tragedy.
Prosecutors have not yet ruled out charges in the case, including for Alec Baldwin.
