‘Rust’ assistant director Dave Halls admits he didn’t check Alec Baldwin’s gun – The HuffPost

via Associated Press

RESPONSIBILITIES – The investigation continues. The assistant director of the film “Rust”, Dave Halls, admitted that he had not checked the weapon with which Alec Baldwin accidentally killed the director of photography on the set, said Wednesday, October 28, the sheriff who oversees the investigations.

“I think there was a certain carelessness on this set and I think there are issues that the (film) industry and maybe the state (of New Mexico) need to be concerned about. lean, ”said Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.

According to several witnesses, Dave Halls had announced to Alec Baldwin that the weapon was “cold”, which means in the jargon of the cinema that the revolver is empty and harmless.

Dave Halls explained to investigators that the gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, showed him the gun brought to the set after the break and said he recalled seeing three “dummy” cartridges in the barrel. “He admits he should have checked them all but didn’t,” one investigator wrote in his report.

The gunsmith also questioned

The latter could also be held accountable. On a film, the gunsmith is responsible for the weapons used during the various shots and must constantly ensure that they do not present any danger to the team. Firearms are supposed to be kept locked up when not in use.

According to depositions gathered by investigators, Hannah Guttierez-Reed claimed that she had safely secured the guns to be used for Alec Baldwin’s rehearsal when the team left the set for the lunch break, but not the guns. ammunition.

However, the searches carried out on the set resulted in the seizure of 500 cartridges, dummy or blank, among which also seem to be live ammunition, which has yet to be confirmed by forensic analyzes, said the sheriff.

The fatal bullet, which ended its course in the shoulder of director Joel Souza, injured during the shooting, will also be assessed.

While responsibilities have not yet been formally established, criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin, also an executive producer of the low-budget western, are not ruled out, however, the Santa Fe prosecutor said the same day. Mexico), Mary Carmack-Altwies, at a press conference.

No arrests have taken place at this point and hearings of witnesses at the Bonanza Creek ranch, where Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on October 21, are continuing.

Very strict rules

Live bullets are totally prohibited on set by the very strict rules in force in the film industry, precisely to prevent this kind of accident.

“We’re going to determine how (this live ammunition) got on set, why it was there, because it shouldn’t have been there,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.

The investigators did not refer to it but the specialized site The Wrap says, citing sources familiar with the filming, that some members of the crew had used the offending revolver to fire live ammunition at cans of beer just hours before the crash.

Prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies insisted it was too early to establish each other’s responsibilities and formulate any charges that might arise.

“We cannot say if there has been negligence and if so on the part of whom, nor how many people are involved. We have no certainty at this point, ”she said.