On the set of ‘Rust’, the cinematographer died after actor Alec Baldwin fired a gun.
The Weapons Officer from the movie Rust She was unaware there were “live bullets” on the set where the cinematographer died after actor Alec Baldwin fired a gun during a rehearsal, her lawyers said Friday.
“Ultimately, this set would never have been compromised if live ammunition had not been introduced,” according to a statement from Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys. “Hannah has no idea where the live bullets came from.”
The statement is the first pronouncement by Gutiérrez-Reed, 24, after Halyna Hutchins, director of photography at Rust, died in a hospital in New Mexico, where the western starring and co-produced by Baldwin, 63.
The young woman’s lawyers denied in the text versions that circulated in the media that the weapons had been used to practice target shooting during the recordings that were made at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a famous location among Hollywood producers.
‘Cold gun’
“Hannah and the propmaster had control over the weapons and she never saw anyone shoot live bullets with these weapons, nor would she allow it,” the statement said.
The weapons were locked “every night and during lunch and there is no way that any of them were out of control to be fired by the team,” he adds.
On the set of Rust there were three weapons, according to authorities.
According to the testimonies released by the investigators, Gutiérrez-Reed placed the weapons on a cart, from where the assistant director, Dave Halls, took the LL Pietta Long Colt 45 revolver and handed it to Baldwin shouting “cold pistol”, the slang film to warn that the weapon was unloaded.
Halls, questioned by investigators later, acknowledged that he did not fully check the weapon before turning it over.
Baldwin explained to the team how he would position the gun for a scene when the gun went off, hitting Hutchins, 42, and production director Joel Souza, 48. Souza, wounded in the shoulder, was discharged shortly after. , while Hutchins was pronounced dead in a hospital to which she was transferred by helicopter.
Fake and real bullets
Authorities found about 500 bullets on set, including bursts, fake and real, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza reported this week. “There was some complacency on this set,” Mendoza said.
Team members Rust They made claims about working conditions and security breaches, even commenting that there were two previous shooting incidents on set before Hutchins’ death.
“Hannah has never had an accidental shot until now. The first [disparo] on this set it was from the prop manager, and the second was a double after Hannah informed him that the gun was loaded with salvoes, ”his lawyers said in the statement.
The text also questions the security protocols of Rust as well as the workload of Gutiérrez-Reed and makes production responsible. “The whole set became unsafe due to various factors (…). This was not Hannah’s fault. “
“Hannah was hired for two jobs on this movie, which made it very difficult to focus on her work as a gunsmith. She fought for training, days to keep the weapons and time to prepare for the shots, but in the end this was disregarded by the production and her department, “he adds.
The lawyers reported that they will present another statement next week. (I)
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