Actor Alec Baldwin was practicing taking out a pistol and aiming it at the camera when the shot that killed a cinematographer was fired during the filming of the Western movie in the United States, according to US media, according to court documents.
And director Joel Sousa, who was shot in the shoulder, was standing behind Halina Hutchins. He stated that he heard what looked like a “whip and then a bang”, according to the preliminary investigation report seen by NBC.
“Alec (Baldwin) was sitting on a bench in the middle of a church decor and practicing taking out a gun,” according to the document. The director was watching the scene from behind Hutchins.
After the shot, the cinematographer pressed her stomach, according to the director, who indicated that she was “falling backwards” before helping her to “lie down”.
Photographer Red Russell revealed that the scene was not recorded because the crew was preparing to shoot.
The “Rust” crew was returning from a lunch break and the director said he was not “certain” that the pistol had undergone a new security check.
Helena Hutchins was shot in the chest by Alec Baldwin from a weapon used as an accessory in the movie “Rust,” according to a preliminary investigation report seen by AFP. She was airlifted to a hospital in New Mexico, where she was pronounced dead.
Director Joel Sousa, who injured his shoulder in the incident, is recovering.
The tragedy occurred at the site “Bonanza Creek Ranch”, which is widely used for filming Western films, and the police cordoned off it and prevented entry to it.
No prosecutions have yet been launched in this regard, according to a spokesman for the police office. Alec Baldwin remains at large after being questioned, with investigations focused on the hypothesis of the accident.
It was also found that there were several complaints filed against the assistant director, Dave Holz, accusing him of ignoring the safety procedures in place during the filming of scenes in which weapons were used, or there were fires.
Informed sources also indicated, according to what was reported by CNN, that Holz has a known history and precedent of neglect, in addition to abusing some female employees and workers with him, as well as complaints about his unwanted touches to the bodies of those around him.
An evening on Hutchins’ intention was held on Sunday evening in Burbank, a city near Los Angeles that bears the nickname “World Media Capital” for the presence of several film and television studios. Sadness and resentment were hanging over the atmosphere, with questions about how such an accident happened.
In a statement read in a candlelit mourning for the director of cinematography, Matt Hutchins described the death of his late wife as a “terrible loss”.
A petition launched on Change.org calling for a ban on actual firearms on set and better working conditions has garnered more than 24,000 signatures as of Monday.
Baldwin, 63, said Friday that he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by Hutchins’ death.
Media and social media reports raised questions about safety measures during the filming of the low-budget film, and many photographers and their assistants went on tour just hours before the accident.
In one of the most disturbing reports, celebrity website TMZ quoted anonymous sources linked to the production as saying that the pistol delivered to Baldwin had previously been used by crew members to shoot targets with live bullets.
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