SANTA FE, Oct 23 ― Alec Baldwin was handed what was described as a safe “cold gun” on the set of his movie Rust, but the prop gun contained live rounds when it was fired, according to details of the police investigation into the fatal shooting released yesterday.
The shot hit cinematographer Halayna Hutchins in the chest, and director Joel Souza who was sitting behind her, in the shoulder, according to a county sheriff's affidavit filed in Santa Fe magistrates court.
Hutchins died of her wounds and Souza was injured but has since been released from a local hospital.
The assistant director who handed Baldwin the prop gun did not know it contained live rounds, the affidavit by Santa Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano said.
Baldwin said yesterday he was in shock over the accidental shooting as reports emerged of walk-outs on the Rust set earlier in the week over unsafe conditions.
The star of 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October said he was “fully cooperating” with authorities to determine how the incident occurred on Thursday.
Production on the movie was immediately shut down. The sheriff's department said no charges had been filed and the investigation remained open. Baldwin voluntarily gave a statement about the shooting, the sheriff's department said. ― Reuters
