The filing of criminal charges against Alec Baldwin, who fired a prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on the sets of the film Rust, cannot be ruled out, New Mexico district attorney said on Wednesday, according to a BBC report.
“All options are on the table. No one has been ruled out at this point,” District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies reportedly said.
According to an affidavit, Baldwin was rehearsing before Hutchins and Souza with the firearm when the incident occurred. Souza was looking over Hutchins’ shoulder “when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop.” A moment later, he saw Hutchins grab her midsection and complain about her stomach, while he realised that he was hurt in the shoulder.
Investigators said a “lead projectile” had been removed from the director’s shoulder, and that it appeared to be a live round.
Hutchins was pronounced dead at the University of New Mexico Hospital the same day.
The affidavit added that assistant director Dave Halls had handed over the gun to Baldwin, who was unaware that it contained live rounds.
“We suspect there were other live rounds found on set. We’re going to determine how those got there, why they were there, because they shouldn’t have been there,” Sante Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said, according to BBC. He added that the police had recovered 600 pieces of evidence so far – including three firearms and 500 rounds of ammunition.
Mendoza also confirmed that prior to Baldwin, the weapon, identified as an antique Colt .45 revolver, was handled by Halls and the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez.
According to a court document released on Wednesday, Halls told investigators he had failed to check all the rounds in the gun before handing it over.
Halls is said to have a history of not following safety precautions, including on earlier projects such as Hulu’s Into the Dark and the film Freedom’s Path. He was fired from the latter project “after a crew member incurred a minor and temporary injury when a gun was unexpectedly discharged,” a producer told Variety.
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The recent incident on the sets of Rust has sparked a debate around the presence of live ammunition on sets, as well as the need for production houses to hire professionals with experience to ensure such accidents are averted.
Both Souza and camera operator Reid Russell confirmed to the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department that several members of the camera department had staged a walkout on the day of the incident, in protest over pay and unsafe working conditions. The Los Angeles Times reported that after the camera crew left, several non-union crew members showed up to replace them.
It was after a few hours of their arrival, when filming resumed, that the incident occurred.