Cold gun: Alec Baldwin was told prop weapon was safe before fatal shooting at 'Rust' set
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Some crew members, who were on the set of Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' set last weekend, told the media that there were two accidental prop gun discharges before the fatal shooting
On October 21, actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when he fired a prop gun during the shooting of the movie 'Rust'. The actor also injured director Joel Souza who was later discharged from the hospital.
Earlier, it was revealed that the prop gun had a live bullet that was fired during the shooting. Now, it has emerged that assistant director Dave Hall, who did not know there were live rounds in the gun, had handed the firearm to Alec, and yelled, "Cold gun!", as per court documents.
The remark suggested the gun was safe to use and did not have live rounds. But, when the actor fired the gun, a live round hit Hutchins in the chest and wounded Souza who was nearby.
Also read: Rust set accident: AFI sets up scholarship for women cinematographers
According to an affidavit for a search warrant for the movie set filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns by assistant director David that were set up in a cart by armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, 24. She is the daughter of prominent Hollywood armorer Thell Reed, who placed three guns on a cart outside the set, including the one with a live round.
Meanwhile, before the shooting accident occurred, crew members working on 'Rust' had safety concerns. A production source told People that crew members "didn't feel safe" on set in New Mexico. Some other media outlets reported that some crew members quit the production over concerns related to safety--including gun inspections.
Reportedly, some crew members, who were on the set last weekend, told media that there were two accidental prop gun discharges before this tragic accident and were particularly concerned by the lack of concern about previous accidents.