Search warrant issued for Alec Baldwin film set

[uk666]

Search warrant issued for Alec Baldwin film set

Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set that resulted in the death of Halyna Hutchins, 42, the film's director of photography, according to investigators.

Alec Baldwin has made his first public statement since a fatal shooting on the set of his new film on Thursday.

"There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours, I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."

The actor was in New Mexico filming "Rust," which he's starring in and producing. In Rust, Baldwin was starring as an outlaw whose grandson is sentenced to hang for an accidental murder.

Director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured and transported to Christus St. Vincent's Regional Medical Centre by ambulance for care.

A search warrant issued by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office revealed that Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns by assistant director David Halls that were set up in a cart by an armorer.

Halls handed the gun to Baldwin and yelled "cold gun," meaning the gun did not have live rounds, the affidavit states.

The gun fired by Baldwin hit Hutchins in the chest and wounded Souza, who was behind her while rehearsing a scene, in the shoulder. She was pronounced dead at a hospital after being transported by helicopter.

Baldwin's blood-stained outfit was taken as evidence along with the gun. Ammunition and other prop weapons were also taken from the set by police.

Several crew members quit the production due to concerns over conditions and safety issues including gun safety procedures and Covid protocols not being followed before the shooting.

The union members had reportedly complained that they were promised hotel rooms in Santa Fe, but once filming of the Western began, they were required to drive 50 miles (80km) from Albuquerque every morning.

Such incidents on film sets are extremely rare.

Real firearms are often used in filming and are loaded with blanks cartridges that create a flash and a bang without discharging a projectile.

In 1993, Brandon Lee, the 28-year-old son of the late martial arts star Bruce Lee died on set after being accidentally shot with a prop gun while filming a death scene for the film "The Crow". The gun mistakenly had a dummy round loaded in it.

Even blank ammunition can be deadly if fired at close range. In 1984, actor John Eric Hexum was playing around with a gun on the set of "Cover Up: Golden Opportunity" and died after putting the gun to his head and pulling the trigger.