Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)

Baldwin says jobs lost after ‘Rust’ killing

- By Brian Niemietz

Actor Alec Baldwin claims he has lost five jobs, including one this week, in the aftermath of the killing of cinematogr­apher Halyna Hutchins on the set of his defunct film “Rust” in October. He also says the stress he’s endured has “taken years” off his life.

The 64-year-old actor told CNN that ongoing questions about Hutchins’ death prompted him to hire a private investigat­or to get to the bottom of the “tragic” incident he feels law enforcemen­t will rule accidental.

Hutchins, 42, died after being struck by a bullet fired from a prop gun Baldwin was holding.

Baldwin insisted there was no reason the gun he was handed on set should have been packed with live ammunition and blames props assistant Hannah Gutierrez-reed and assistant director Dave Halls for putting him in the precarious situation that led to the death of Hutchins on a Santa Fe, New Mexico, film set more than nine months ago.

“There are two people who didn’t do what they were supposed to do,” he told CNN.

Baldwin alleges Gutierrez-reed was in charge of managing weaponry and Halls handed him a loaded gun, without telling anyone it was “hot.”

Gutierrez-reed, in a statement to the Daily News through attorney Jason Bowles, said: “The primary question in this case from the beginning has been where did the live rounds that ended upon (sic) the ‘Rust’ set come from?” and insisted local law enforcemen­t could answer that question by asking the FBI to test ammunition found on set for fingerprin­ts or DNA.

Her lawyer, as well as Lisa Torraco, an attorney for Halls, accused Baldwin of trying to shift blame away from himself.

“Halls is a scapegoat, she claimed. Baldwin told CNN he doesn’t expect anyone involved in Hutchins’ death will face criminal charges. The incident remains under investigat­ion.

The FBI reported last week that 150 live rounds were located on the set of “Rust.” According to the cable news channel, Baldwin further wondered if the film’s prop supplier accidental­ly delivered live ammo to a fake gunfight.

Gutierrez-reed filed suit against the film’s ammo provider in January, alleging she unwittingl­y received a batch of bullets with dummy rounds and real projectile­s. Attorneys for that company’s owner admitted their client provided ammunition for the film.

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Alec Baldwin

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