Police say an actor discharged a live shot during filming.
On a movie set in New Mexico, the county sheriff has claimed that Alec Baldwin was given a weapon with a live round in it.
On Thursday, an actor unintentionally shot and wounded the film’s director Joel Souza as well as cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who unfortunately was fatally wounded.
Three firearms and 500 rounds of ammunition have been recovered as part of the investigation.
So far, no arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff, Adan Mendoza, stated at a press conference on Wednesday that the inquiry is still in its early phases and that many more interviews are required, including with Mr. Baldwin, who he said is co-operating with authorities.
The sheriff revealed that there were approximately 100 people on the Rust film set at the time of the shooting, and that everyone would be interviewed.
“I believe the facts are self-evident: a weapon was given to Mr Baldwin. The weapon is operational and discharged a live bullet, killing Ms Hutchins and injuring Mr Souza,” he added.
The sheriff also stated that a “lead projectile” had been removed from Mr Souza’s shoulder and submitted as evidence, as had the gun, which was fired by Mr Baldwin, and the spent shell casings.
Other live rounds of ammunition, according to police, may have been on the Rust set. They have not yet been subjected to a crime lab analysis.
The sheriff added that the remaining 500 rounds of ammunition were “a mix of blanks, dummies, and what we believe to be live rounds.”
The New York Daily News reported that the sheriff had described Mr. Baldwin as “cooperative.”
“He’s been very nice, very cordial, very concerned as well. We didn’t do this interview with reluctance at all,” he said.
The sheriff confirmed that the weapon was a .44 calibre Magnum, but would not give further details.
“We’re going to look into how they got there, why they were there — because they shouldn’t have been there,” he continued.
The armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed and the film’s assistant director Dave Halls handled the weapon before it was given to Mr Baldwin, according to Dunning.
Records from the court case claim that when Mr Halls handed over the gun, he yelled “cold gun,” implying that it did not contain live ammunition. He was unaware that there were live rounds in the weapon, according to court documents.
The gun used in the fatal shooting, as well as a weapon that the sheriff said appeared to have been modified, and a non-functioning plastic revolver were among the weapons seized by officials.
When asked whether anyone would be charged with a crime, Santa Fe district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies responded that it was still quite early to determine, but “all options are on the table at this stage…” I do not make hasty judgments or rush to judgment.
According to several attorneys who have spoken with NM Reports, there is no comparable scenario in New Mexico. “It’s a complicated case, and it’ll need a lot of legal study, analysis, and evaluation,” said Ms Carmack-Altwies.
The film’s producer, Dunning said he is trying to come up with a solution that will be acceptable to all parties. “I’m hoping that the sheriff gives us guidance, and then we can arrive at an answer,” he said. “We’re not going to move forward until everybody feels comfortable with moving forward.”
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