Crew members on the set of Rust – the independent film which saw the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins – had previously used the same gun for live-ammo target practice. The news comes as investigations continue to examine how and why the weapon was declared safe for use when it was handed to Alec Baldwin by assistant director, David Halls. Baldwin was rehearsing a scene when he pulled the trigger, striking Hutchins and director Joel Souza. Hutchins passed away several hours later in hospital.
The entire horrific incident has understandably weighed heavily on Baldwin, who many initially blamed for Hutchins’ death. However, as more time passes, the whole situation becomes more complex and by this point, it’s clear that Baldwin was merely a part of what ultimately amounted to Hutchins’ death. For his part, the 63-year-old Oscar-nominee has been in contact with Hutchins’ widow, Matthew, and their 9-year-old son, Andros. The three were seen meeting for breakfast, with Baldwin hugging both father and son. The entire case is likely to take some time to sort out, but as time passes and the specifics of the day in which Hutchins was killed becomes clear, the greater the degree of on-set negligence becomes.
The latest development in the case comes courtesy of The Wrap and points to a rather chilling state of affairs in the hours leading up to the moment when Baldwin was handed the gun that killed Hutchins. Crew members were reportedly using the same weapon for target practice during downtime on the set of Rust, shooting at cans in a pastime known as “plinking.” Somehow, that gun later found its way on to a tray of others being used for the film and as Halls picked the weapon up, he announced that it was a “cold gun” – a term used to indicate that the pistol was not loaded with live ammunition.
The handling of the weapon appears to be the culmination of what some of Rust's crew members have previously described as “super unsafe” working conditions on the set. What’s more, in the hours leading up to Hutchins’ death, several of Rust’s camera crew had walked off the set in protest of housing, payment and working conditions. Because New Mexico is a “right to work” state, however, production was able to continue by bringing in non-union workers. Whether or not the decision to ignore the demands of trained and experienced workers and instead rush to bring in non-union workers played a major role in Hutchins death will likely be something that ongoing investigations focus on.
If, however, blame does fall on the producers of Rust for what amounts to negligence in dealing with the film’s reportedly poor working conditions, Baldwin could still be in for legal issues. As one of the film’s producers, he cannot completely wash his hands of a certain degree of blame. Obviously, the shooting of Hutchins was not intentional, but the real point of focus now has to be on the events that led up to the 42-year-old’s heartbreaking death.
The entire horrific incident has understandably weighed heavily on Baldwin, who many initially blamed for Hutchins’ death. However, as more time passes, the whole situation becomes more complex and by this point, it’s clear that Baldwin was merely a part of what ultimately amounted to Hutchins’ death. For his part, the 63-year-old Oscar-nominee has been in contact with Hutchins’ widow, Matthew, and their 9-year-old son, Andros. The three were seen meeting for breakfast, with Baldwin hugging both father and son. The entire case is likely to take some time to sort out, but as time passes and the specifics of the day in which Hutchins was killed becomes clear, the greater the degree of on-set negligence becomes.
The latest development in the case comes courtesy of The Wrap and points to a rather chilling state of affairs in the hours leading up to the moment when Baldwin was handed the gun that killed Hutchins. Crew members were reportedly using the same weapon for target practice during downtime on the set of Rust, shooting at cans in a pastime known as “plinking.” Somehow, that gun later found its way on to a tray of others being used for the film and as Halls picked the weapon up, he announced that it was a “cold gun” – a term used to indicate that the pistol was not loaded with live ammunition.
The handling of the weapon appears to be the culmination of what some of Rust's crew members have previously described as “super unsafe” working conditions on the set. What’s more, in the hours leading up to Hutchins’ death, several of Rust’s camera crew had walked off the set in protest of housing, payment and working conditions. Because New Mexico is a “right to work” state, however, production was able to continue by bringing in non-union workers. Whether or not the decision to ignore the demands of trained and experienced workers and instead rush to bring in non-union workers played a major role in Hutchins death will likely be something that ongoing investigations focus on.
If, however, blame does fall on the producers of Rust for what amounts to negligence in dealing with the film’s reportedly poor working conditions, Baldwin could still be in for legal issues. As one of the film’s producers, he cannot completely wash his hands of a certain degree of blame. Obviously, the shooting of Hutchins was not intentional, but the real point of focus now has to be on the events that led up to the 42-year-old’s heartbreaking death.