While Alec Baldwin accidentally killed the director of photography and injured the director of his western, the ongoing investigation reveals its first details.
How did a real bullet end up on a film set? This is the question that investigators and the world of cinema are asking themselves after the tragedy that occurred on Thursday, October 21. Actor Alec Baldwin “accidentally” killed Halyna Hutchins, director of photography, and injured Joel Souza, director of the western “Rust”.
An investigation is underway and as it progresses, we learn a little more about the circumstances of the tragedy.
A drama that occurred during a new take
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This Thursday around 1 p.m., help received a call from a filming ranch in Santa Fe (New Mexico). According to AFP, which quotes a preliminary investigation report, Halyna Hutchins, 42-year-old cinematographer, was hit in the chest by a gunshot believed to be fake. Joel Souza, the director of the film who was near her was hit in the shoulder by the same weapon, held at that time by actor Alec Baldwin.
As they checked the shots on a monitor, Alec Baldwin had to start his shot again. That’s when the gun fired, hitting Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza who was just behind her. Urgently transported to the nearest hospital, she succumbed to her injuries and the director is now recovering.
A weapon already discharged twice
This Friday, October 22, sources claimed nearby Los Angeles Times that gun safety protocols were not properly followed on set. According to these same sources, one of the cameramen of the team would have complained about it. The weapon that killed Halyna Hutchins was at the center of the preoccupations of some members of the production team. The reason ? She had accidentally discharged twice already.
“There should have been an investigation into what happened. There were no security meetings. There was no assurance that this would not happen again. All they wanted was to rush, to rush, to rush, ”a member of the team told US media. One of them also reportedly sent an SMS to a manager to alert him to the situation: “We have now had 3 accidental discharges. It’s super dangerous ”.
Two people carrying weapons
24-year-old Hannah Gutierrez Reed was the gunsmith in charge of all of the guns on the set. The young woman had just finished her first film as chief gunsmith for the feature film “The Old Way”. According to the preliminary report, she was the one who prepared the firearm in question and placed it on a cart with two other weapons.
It was then Dave Halls, the assistant director, who gave the weapon to Alec Baldwin. According to investigators, the actor “Was unaware that the weapon contained a real bullet”. Immediately after the tragedy, Hannah Gutierrez Reed recovered the cartridge to give it to the police.
Tensions on the set
On the morning of the tragedy, six members of the technical team resigned and left the set. The reason ? Protest against their judged working conditions “Execrable and dangerous”, but also denounce the non-existent safety of the firearms used on the set. According to the preliminary report consulted by the Los Angeles Times, Halyna Hutchins had tried to plead in their favor to demand better working conditions.
In addition to security concerns, delays in the payment of wages have been noted. But that’s not all. The film crews also criticized the choice of the hotel lodging them. The latter was about 80 kilometers from the filming location and the crews feared a road accident after their many hours spent on the set.
No lawsuit against Alec Baldwin
After being questioned by the investigators in charge of the case, Alec Baldwin came out free. No prosecution has yet been brought against him. As he told the police, before seizing the weapon, he had been “Informed that she was sure” . In the aftermath of the tragedy, the 63-year-old actor spoke on his Twitter account. “I have no words to express my shock and sadness at the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a woman, a mother and an admired colleague. I fully cooperate with the investigators to understand what is happening. ‘it happened”
In a press release issued by the Deadline website, director Joel Souza is “Devastated by the loss of his friend and colleague”. “She was kind, dynamic, incredibly talented, fought for every detail and always pushed me to give my best.”
Halyna Hutchins’ husband also spoke on Twitter. “Our loss is enormous, and we ask the media to respect family privacy”, he said. In another tweet, he appealed for donations to support the Halyna Hutchin Scholarship created by the American Film Institute. This scholarship is intended for young women who want to turn to the film industry. For now, the world of cinema is still in mourning.
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