Alec Baldwin: Hollywood demands consequences after fatal accident

How did live ammunition get into the gun? Who will be held responsible for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins? Was sabotage involved? A good two weeks after the gunshot on the western set “Rust” there are more questions and guesses than clear answers. The police have been keeping silent about the status of their investigations for days, but lawyers, cameramen and actors have spoken on news shows.

The deadly drama at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular New Mexico western filming location, shook Hollywood. On October 21st, lead actor Alec Baldwin in western outfit pulled out a revolver during rehearsals. But instead of harmless cartridges, live ammunition was released. The bullet pierced Hutchins’ head cameraman and then hit director Joel Souza, standing behind her, on the shoulder. According to an eyewitness, while she was bleeding on the floor, Hutchins said: “That was not good. That wasn’t good at all.” The mother of a nine-year-old son died shortly afterwards.

Death on Alec Baldwin’s film set: Investigations could still take months

Less than a week later, the responsible sheriff and the district attorney appeared before the press. Among the hundreds of rounds of harmless ammunition on the set of the low-budget film, they suspected live ammunition. Further laboratory tests and surveys are due. It is still too early for a possible charge, for example for negligent homicide. The investigation could drag on for months, it said.

But that doesn’t slow down the flood of allegations and speculations about what might have happened on the set. The focus is on a young gunsmith and the assistant director who shows Baldwin the revolver with the hint that the gun is “cold” – i.e. without live ammunition – (read more about the assistant director here)

Focus on weapons master and assistant director

The lawyers of the 24-year-old, relatively inexperienced armorer now went on the offensive with a headline-grabbing claim. Someone could have put a live ammunition bullet in a box of harmless cartridges to sabotage the shoot, attorney Jason Bowles said in the “Today Show”. There were dissatisfied employees on the set who complained about the working conditions. The weapons master had previously rejected allegations of negligence on the set. she has “no idea”where the live ammunition came from. (Read more about the weapon master here)

The camera assistant Lane Luper, who started out with “Rust” participated, described the working conditions as completely unsafe and chaotic. There was never time for rehearsals and security arrangements, Luper said on Friday “Hollywood Reporter”. The weapon master was to him “incredibly overworked and inexperienced” occurred. A shot was accidentally fired earlier during the shoot. Luper and six colleagues had stopped work and left the set in protest a few hours before Hutchins was fatally hit. He categorically denied the claim that disgruntled employees could have deliberately placed a real bullet.

Halyna Hutchins’ husband hires a lawyer

Lawyer Naema Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, faces charges of negligent homicide. There are so many signs that the gun master and the assistant director acted with gross negligence, he told the film portal “The Wrap”.

The tragic incident could also result in civil lawsuits. The killed camerawoman’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, has hired a lawyer in Los Angeles. Out of consideration for the grieving family, no further information would be given at this time, the law firm recently announced to the German Press Agency.

Alec Baldwin mad at paparazzi

Baldwin, who, according to the sheriff’s office, is fully cooperating with the authorities, commented on Twitter and Instagram the day after the fatal shot: “There are no words to express the shock and sadness at the tragic accident that ended Halyna Hutchins’ life.” Visibly taken, he answered questions from a group of paparazzi in the US state of Vermont at the end of October. He criticized her for following him and his family. The actor said he was not allowed to comment on the investigation. But he was “very interested” on the ongoing campaign to restrict guns on film sets in the US.

This debate is now boiling up in Hollywood. Dozens of directors and cameramen are campaigning for stricter safety checks and a rethinking of the handling of firearms. Action star Dwayne Johnson (49) also stood behind the action. In the future, he wanted to forego real weapons in all of his productions and only use rubber pistols, the star said a few days ago on the sidelines of the premiere of his new film “Red Notice” in Los Angeles. In post-production, you could technically help with effects. Hutchins’ death shook him very much, he emphasized in an interview with the film newspaper “Variety”. The industry should pause and seriously examine how we can continue together.