Actor Alec Baldwin was given a loaded weapon by an assistant director that told him it was safe to use moments before the actor fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico yesterday, WGN 9 reports.
This all comes from newly released court records that give us perhaps the most telling bit of info yet into the incident, which was a mishap involving a prop gun that also injured film director Joel Souza.
According to a search warrant filed in a Sante Fe court, the assistant director didn’t know the prop gun was loaded with live rounds at the time.
Hutchins was struck in the chest during filming, with director Souza getting wounded as he stood behind her, records said.
The warrant was obtained Friday so investigators could document the ranch where the shooting took place. The weapon that was fired — as well as Baldwin’s blood-stained costume for the film — was taken in as evidence, the warrant noted.
Other prop guns and ammunition to be used in the movie were seized by investigators.
Baldwin described the killing as a “tragic accident” earlier today. The shooting occurred while Baldwin was in the middle of a performance, the sheriff’s office said.
Baldwin took to Twitter to offer his condolences and the shock he felt:
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation…My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
No charges have been filed against Baldwin, with a sheriff’s spokesperson describing him as “a free man.”
This all comes on the heels of the news that many crew members apparently walked off the set of Rust hours before the fatal incident, citing unsafe working conditions, poor pay, and long hours. The report from LA Times went on to say there were three other misfires of prop guns in the last few weeks, according to their source.