Fatal accident on the set
Baldwin’s weapon master rejects any guilty of fatal shot – and raises serious allegations
A Santa Fe County Sheriff’s car is parked on the street at the entrance to Bonanza Creek Ranch in Sante Fe, the location of the Western “Rust” starring Alec Baldwin
© Jae C. Hong / DPA
She was in charge of the gun that Alec Baldwin accidentally used to shoot camerawoman Halyna Hutchins: Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Now the 24-year-old has spoken about her lawyers for the first time.
After Hollywood star Alec Baldwin’s fatal shot at a camerawoman while filming, the gunsmith in charge rejected all responsibility. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had “no idea where the live ammunition came from,” said the 24-year-old’s lawyers on Friday. They also pointed out that the tragic accident would never have occurred had the live ammunition not been introduced on the set.
Sheriff notices a certain “carelessness” on the Baldwin set
Baldwin had apparently accidentally shot the cameraman Halyna Hutchins while filming the western “Rust” last week when he was firing the prop weapon during a rehearsal. Director Joel Souza was hit in the shoulder and injured.
It turned out that there was live ammunition in the gun. Assistant director Dave Halls admitted not checking all the bullets in the revolver’s drum before handing it to Baldwin with assurance that the gun was safe.
On the film set in Santa Fe, the police, according to their own statements, seized 500 bullets, a “mixture” of blank cartridges, dummy cartridges and presumably also real bullets. Sheriff Adan Mendoza said there was apparently a certain “carelessness” on the set. He also reported two previous incidents where guns were accidentally fired.
Gutierrez-Reed criticizes “extremely difficult” working conditions
Media reports that members of the film crew had practiced target guns and live ammunition on cans just hours before the fatal incident, Gutierrez-Reed through her lawyers dismissed. They kept the weapons under lock and key every evening and during the lunch break. It can be completely ruled out “that even a single one of them was missing or was fired by crew members”.
At the same time, the lawyers painted the picture of a production in which budget issues often played a more important role than security rules. Due to the production constraints, it was “extremely difficult” for Gutierrez-Reed to concentrate on her work as an armorer, they said.
“She fought for training, for days to maintain the weapons and adequate time to prepare for target practice,” but was repeatedly blown away by it. The entire set was ultimately no longer safe, among other things due to the lack of safety meetings, the statement said. “It wasn’t Hannah’s fault.”