Authorities to present findings in fatal movie-set shooting
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Law enforcement authorities are scheduled to discuss initial findings about a fatal movie-set shooting with a prop gun discharged by actor Alec Baldwin that left a cinematographer dead and the director wounded.
Scheduled for Wednesday, the news conference by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies promises the first detailed public comments by investigators about the killing of 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins during an on-set rehearsal at a ranch outside Santa Fe.
The sequence of events on Oct. 21 has baffled Hollywood professionals and prompted calls to better regulate movie-set firearms or even ban them in the age of seamless computer-generated imagery.
Court records say that an assistant director, Dave Halls, grabbed the gun from a cart and handed it to Baldwin, indicating the weapon was safe by yelling "cold gun." But it was loaded with live rounds, according to a written affidavit from a detective.
Baldwin, 63, who is known for his roles in "30 Rock," "The Departed" and "The Hunt for Red October" along with impression of former President Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live," has described the killing as a "tragic accident."
Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press prior to the news conference that the investigation is still in its early stages - well before decisions are made about whether or not to file criminal charges.
A bouquet of flowers is left to honor cinematographer Halyna Hutchins outside the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Hutchins died after actor Alec Baldwin fired a fatal gunshot from a prop gun that he had been told was safe. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
She said those involved in the production were cooperating with law enforcement and that prosecutors won´t fully review evidence until the completion of an initial investigation by the sheriff´s office.
The gun Baldwin used was one of three that a firearms specialist, or "armorer," had set on a cart outside the building where a scene was being rehearsed, according to court records.
Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind Hutchins and was wounded, has told investigators there should never be live rounds present whatsoever near the scene.
Authorities have seized three black revolvers, gun belts with holsters, ammunition boxes, a fanny pack with ammunition, several spent casings and articles of clothing and swabs of what were believed to be blood.
The production of "Rust" has been beset by workplace disputes from the start in early October. Hours before the shooting, several camera crew members walked off the set amid discord over working conditions, including safety procedures.
Baldwin in his role as actor appeared unlikely to be held criminally or civilly liable for the tragedy. As a producer, however, he is among a long list of associates on the film who could face some sort of liability.
Concerns have been raised about Halls' safety record by colleagues on two previous productions. Halls has not returned phone calls and email messages seeking comment.
Rust Movie Productions, the production company, says it is cooperating with Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and conducting its own internal review of procedures with the production shut d
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This version corrects the date of the fatal shooting to Oct. 21.
Alec Baldwin speaks on the phone in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in Santa Fe, N.M., after he was questioned about a shooting on the set of the film "Rust" on the outskirts of Santa Fe, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza, officials said. (Jim Weber/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)
A musician plays a violin behind a photograph of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a vigil in her honor in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Hutchins was fatally shot on Thursday, Oct. 21, after an assistant director unwittingly handed actor Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use on the set of a Western filmed in Santa Fe, N.M. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
The Bonanza Creek Film Ranch is seen in Santa Fe, N.M., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. An assistant director unwittingly handed actor Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A TV news crew tapes a report at the entrance of the Bonanza Creek Film Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M. Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western being filmed at the ranch on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities were investigating. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
FILE - In this Wednesday, April 17, 2002, file photo, items from the National Firearms Museum exhibit of guns and memorabilia used in movies, such as Clint Eastwood's gun and badge from "Dirty Harry," are shown at the NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Va. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. (AP Photo/Linda Spillers, File)
A sign offering film tours is seen at the entrance of the Bonanza Creek Film Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M. Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western being filmed at the ranch on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities were investigating. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
A sign stands near the Bonanza Creek Film Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. An assistant director unwittingly handed actor Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Facilities, that are not part of the actor Alec Baldwin production, are pictured at sunset in the Bonanza Creek Film Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M. Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western being filmed at the ranch on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities were investigating. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
The entrance to the Bonanza Creek Film Ranch is seen in Santa Fe, N.M., Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western being filmed at the ranch on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities were investigating. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
