UPDATED 10/23, 7:55 p.m. ET: An assistant director on the set of the Alec Baldwin film Rust yelled “cold gun” Thursday before Baldwin fired the prop weapon, which killed a cinematographer and injured a director, according to a court document.
Assistant director David Halls, who reportedly did not know there were live rounds in the gun, handed Baldwin the weapon, as the “cold gun” comment was meant to indicate the weapon didn’t have live rounds, according to a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office affidavit for a search warrant, obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT.
The affidavit reads that the live rounds ended up hitting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest and injuring director Joel Souza. Hutchins was soon airlifted and reportedly then pronounced dead at a hospital.
See original story from 10/22/2021 below.
Alec Baldwin has addressed the accidental shooting that took place on the set of the film Rust, which left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza injured, saying he’s cooperating with police.
“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,” Baldwin wrote on Twitter. “I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
On Thursday evening, a prop gun used by Baldwin and meant to be filled with blanks fired a live round. Hutchins and Souza were struck and rushed to a local Santa Fe, New Mexico hospital.
Souza has since been discharged from the hospital and production for Rust has been postponed for an undetermined amount of time.
No charges had been filed as of Thursday. TMZ reported the incident is being investigated by the District Attorney and the New Mexico Health and Safety Bureau.
IndieWire reports that Anthony Pawluc, a member of the entertainment union International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 44, described the incident as “an accidental weapons discharge.” He specified that a “live single round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor, hitting both the [director of photography], Local 600 member Halnya Hutchins, and [director] Joel Souza.”
