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Alec Baldwin's daughter Ireland sends 'love and support' to Halyna Hutchins' family

Ireland wrote on Friday on her Instagram Story, 'And wishing I could hug my dad extra tight today'

Ireland Baldwin is supporting her father Alec Baldwin after he accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his latest film ‘Rust’. She also sent her “support” to the loved ones of Hutchins. 

The director of the movie Joel Souza was wounded in the tragic incident, and authorities are investigating what happened. The incident took place on Thursday, October 21, in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe. Santa Fe County Sheriff’s spokesman Juan Rios said detectives were investigating what type of projectile was discharged and how. No immediate charges were filed. 

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Alec Baldwin earlier made his first public statement since a fatal shooting. "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 said on Friday, October 22. "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."

"My love and support go to Halyna Hutchins' family and friends. Sending healing thoughts to Joel Souza," Ireland, 25, wrote Friday on her Instagram Story. "And wishing I could hug my dad extra tight today."

Alec's brother Stephen Baldwin also wrote about the incident on his Instagram page just hours after it occurred. “Asking for your prayers tonight friends not much can be said other than please pray for all involved in the wake of this tragic accident thank you,” wrote Stephen, 55, a devout Christian, on his Instagram page Thursday night.

Police have disclosed few details about the shooting, saying only that a “projectile” was fired by a “prop gun” and they are investigating. A spokesman for the movie's production company has insisted that only blanks were used, but the sheriff's department is yet to confirm that.

As per a new report, an assistant director handed Alec Baldwin a prop firearm and yelled "cold gun" before the actor fired and killed Hutchins, according to a court document. The "cold gun" remark was reportedly meant to indicate that the weapon did not have live rounds, according to an affidavit for a search warrant for the movie set filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.

According to the affidavit, Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns by assistant director David Halls that were set up in a cart by an armorer. Halls did not know there were live rounds in the gun, the affidavit said. But when the actor fired the gun, a live round hit Hutchins, 42, in the chest and wounded Souza, 48, who was nearby, according to the affidavit. 

"Cold guns" aren't supposed to be loaded, particularly during rehearsals, said Bryan Carpenter, an armorer and weapons master in the film industry. "You have to make sure that the weapon is truly cold, which means there should have been no rounds in there, period. And especially if it's a rehearsal.”

Bill Davis, a Georgia-based weapons expert who has worked on hundreds of film and television productions, told The Washington Post that the safety protocols in place on nearly all sets do a great job protecting the actors and crew. Prop guns are usually safeguarded by someone who specializes in firearms in a production or the props department, he said. “If you follow the rules, you’re going to have a nice, safe day,” Davis said.

As per another report, before the fatal accident, seven 'Rust’ camera crew members walked off set in protest of unsafe working conditions. Sources said the workers’ complaints included being expected to arrive to set at 6:30 am, and only being offered accommodations in Albuquerque instead of Santa Fe, requiring them to make a 50-mile drive to set each day.

“We cited everything from lack of payment for three weeks, taking our hotels away despite asking for them in our deals, lack of Covid safety, and on top of that, poor gun safety! Poor on-set safety period!” a member of the camera crew wrote on a private Facebook page. Per The LA Times, the camera crew -- members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees -- spent about an hour assembling their gear at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, several nonunion crew members showed up to replace them. Reportedly, “a member of the producer staff then ordered the union members to leave the set,” hence the production ended up with a nonunion prop master.