Halyna Hutchins: REAL bullet, not a blank, killed cinematographer, authorities say
Investigators suspect it was a real bullet that claimed the life of 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and not a blank. Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Juan Rios confirmed the development to Source New Mexico in a phone call Wednesday, October 27.
The tragic death of Hutchins has opened a major can of worms for the Hollywood production, with several shocking details emerging over the past few days. Recently, veteran prop master Neal Zoromski confirmed he declined to work on 'Rust', citing safety concerns. He wasn't the only one. Ian Hudson, an actor in the film, also conceded that shooting on the film set felt "scary". In a press conference prior to the phone call on Wednesday, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said there was “complacency” on the set of the New Mexico-filmed movie as he called on the film industry to improve practices so that something like this never happens again.
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Last week, 42-year-old Hutchins was fatally shot after actor Alec Baldwin fired a revolver on the set of the 1880s Kansas-based Western. The film's director Joel Souza was also shot in the shoulder but survived the ordeal.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mendoza revealed some findings of the investigation. He said detectives suspect the gun fired by Baldwin contained a "live round." Charges are still possible against those involved, including the Hollywood star, the film's armorer, and an assistant director, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies added. Deputies are still trying to determine how the live round was placed in the gun Baldwin used, the sheriff said. However, he maintained that safety standards were not nearly sufficient to ensure it was discovered before being handed off to Baldwin. “There was some complacency on this set,” he said. “And I think there are some safety issues that need to be addressed by the industry, possibly by the state of New Mexico, but I’ll leave that up to the industry and the state.”
While the sheriff did not offer possible changes that could be made to make the set safer, a cast member told Source New Mexico that the film's production schedule was too tight and the crew was overworked, and this could have been a contributing factor. That said, it's unclear whether the incident will prompt the state to adopt any new production safety laws. According to the Durango Herald, state lawmakers have not proposed any legislation to that effect for the upcoming legislative session as yet.
Authorities said at least two people came in contact with the gun before it was given to Baldwin for the scene rehearsal, during which he pointed the gun at the camera. “The people that inspected or handled the firearm when it was loaded before it got to Mr Baldwin, we’re interviewing,” Mendoza told journalists at the press conference, adding that everyone questioned thus far has cooperated with the investigation.
The FBI is reportedly helping analyze evidence collected from the scene, including unspent ammunition. Mendoza said about 500 rounds of ammo and two other handguns on the scene that day were collected, and the latter appeared to be disabled or used only as props. The sheriff, however, did not give a date as to when the investigation might be completed, saying the case is complex and much of the evidence is still being processed, the Durango Herald reported.