Details emerge of death on ‘Rust’ movie set

Grim scene . . . The set of the movie Rust at Bonanza Creek Ranch, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

LOS ANGELES: Actor Alec Baldwin was practising removing a revolver from its holster and aiming towards the camera during rehearsal for the movie Rust when director Joel Souza heard ‘‘what sounded like a whip and then a loud pop’’, according to a search warrant that provided grim new details about the final minutes of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ life.

In a document obtained by the

Souza said the weapon had been described to him as a ‘‘cold gun’’, meaning it did not have any live rounds. But the gun discharged, striking Hutchins in her chest and Souza in his right shoulder, according to a Santa Fe County, New Mexico Sheriff’s detective’s affidavit used to obtain a search warrant. Hutchins was pronounced dead at an Albuquerque hospital.

Detectives also recovered what they described as loose and boxed ammunition from the Rust set, according to an inventory of seized items that was released yesterday.

Authorities did not say what type of ammunition they removed from the set and whether it included live or dummy bullets or blank cartridges. The items included two boxes of ‘‘ammo’’, ‘‘loose ammo and boxes’’ as well as ‘‘a fanny pack w/ammo’’.

One of the central mysteries about the killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins remains what kind of projectile was fired from the gun and how it got there. Investigators hope a forensic analysis of ballistic evidence will shed light on those questions, Juan Rios, spokesman for the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department, said.

In another revelation, a production company said the assistant director who handed Baldwin the gun and told him it was unloaded had been fired from an earlier movie over a mishap with a gun.

Production company Rocket Soul said Dave Halls was removed from the set of the independent movie Freedom’s Path in 2019 after a crew member incurred a minor injury when a prop gun was unexpectedly discharged. — TCA/Reuters