Film crew voiced complaints before shooting
SANTA FE, N.M. — Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set with a gun a crew member had assured the actor was safe, a tragic mistake that came hours after some workers walked off the job to protest conditions and production issues.
An assistant director, Dave Halls, grabbed a prop gun off a cart at a desert movie ranch and handed it to Baldwin during a Thursday rehearsal for the Western film “Rust,” according to court records made public Friday.
“Cold gun,” Halls yelled, declaring the weapon didn’t carry live rounds and was ready to fire.
But it wasn’t. When Baldwin pulled the trigger, he unwittingly killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel
Souza, who was standing behind her.
A 911 call that alerted authorities to the shooting at the Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe hints at the panic on the movie set, as detailed in a recording released by the Santa Fe County Regional Emergency Communications Center.
“We had two people accidentally shot on a move set by a prop gun, we need help immediately,” script supervisor Mamie Mitchell told an emergency dispatcher.
The dispatcher asked if the gun was loaded with a real bullet.
“I cannot tell you,” Mitchell replied.
New Mexico workplace safety investigators are examining if film industry standards for gun safety were followed during production of “Rust.” Before the fateful rehearsal, seven crew members reportedly walked off to express their discontent with matters including safety conditions and their accommodations.