A terrible tragedy took place in October on the set for “Rust”. New Mexico cinematographer Halyna HUTCHINS died following a gun actor Alec Baldwin discharged. A live projectile struck the rising star.
An investigation is still ongoing, there are lawsuits brewing, and many questions remain unanswered. Santa Fe District Attorney MaryCarmack-Altwies speaks out.
Interview with Vanity Fair. The tragic incident was described as “an event chain” with each incident contributing to the moment that claimed Hutchins life. Carmack-Altwies already sees that Hutchins died not from one action, but many failures and errors.
Here are some factors according to Vanity Fair. It notes that the ex-public defender has not yet filed charges and won’t know for several months if she will.
1. Armorer hiring
Neal W. Zoromski, a veteran prop master, explained why he declined the chance to work on ” Rust” after he discovered “warning signs” before filming began. According to Vanity Fair, there were several reasons why he turned down the opportunity to work on the movie. Zoromski said that the production “lowballed” him, “they were rushing the things” and that there were two prop assistants, but not an armorer. This was the “dealbreaker.”
He said, “This was the dealbreaker when they wanted to compress responsibilities of these positions.”
Hannah Gutierrez–Reed was ultimately appointed as armorer. She has since repeated Zoromski’s claims that she played a second role, as the prop master’s assistant.
2. What is Sabotage?
Carmack-Altwies stated in her interview with Vanity Fair that she had not heard of any sabotage claims. She also said that there were claims that crew members were using real bullets to make prop weapons. This was for target practice.
Carmack-Altwies stated, “The notion there’s sabotage –I mean, there are not one iota evidence at this point.”
Carmack-Altweis says that she “hopes” the upcoming FBI laboratory report on the materials will resolve the chain of custody. Vanity Fair reports.
It was reported previously that Gutierrez–Reed had sued Seth Kenney for providing the prop ammunition to the production team. Gutierrez-Reed accuses Kenney’s prop firm, PDQ Arm & Prop of providing a mixture of live rounds and dummies to the set, creating a dangerous condition.
Another lawsuit was filed by the on-set medic. It also claimed Kenney and Gutierrez Reed’s father Thell Reed had worked together recently on a film. The suit claimed that Kenney was provided with “reloaded rounds” and “live rounds made from empty casings by Thell.”
According to the docs Thell asked Kenney to return the rounds but Kenney “retained possession”.
Kenney later told authorities that he received “reloaded ammunition” with a logo that matched the dummy and blank ammunition that he provided to films. However, Kenney later denied that the live ammunition on the set for “Rust” could have been supplied by his prop company.
Kenney stated previously to ABC News that it was unlikely that the individuals were PDQ-related or personally.
Vanity Fair reported that Sarah Zachry, lead prop master, stated to investigators that she believed “the ammunition used in Rust” was sourced from different sources. According to Vanity Fair, these sources included Kenney and Guitierrez-Reed as well as another person known simply “Billy Ray.”
3. Gun loaded with bullet
According to Vanity Fair, GutierrezReed was responsible for preparing the Colt vintage. 45″, and “there’s little to no doubt about that.” The outlet claims Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer “insists that she was a conscientious worker” and was “overwhelmed with the demands of a poorly managed set.”
According to Gutierrez-Reed, she returned to the prop truck’s safe after lunch to retrieve the firearm and “fix the empty sixth slot,” but at that time “he claims she was being urgently summoned” to “set over her radio,” Vanity Fair writes.
She thought it had rattled but, at the same moment, people are shouting in her earpiece: ‘Get it, get it!’ Jason Bowles, her lawyer, described the incident to the outlet.
Bowles also provided examples of Gutierrez-Reed receiving “mixed messages” from production, Vanity Fair writes. There were also shared instances where she was praised by her work, once being praised by Joel Souza, who was injured in the incident.
“It wasn’t that she was inexperienced. Bowles stated that she was able to do two jobs because of production.
4. Safety inspections
Gutierrez-Reed’s account and that of Dave Halls, the assistant director, are different when it comes to who gave the firearm to Baldwin. According to the outlet, her attorneys claim she gave the weapon to Halls and then left the church. Lisa Torraco who is representing Halls claims that the armorer handed “the weapon directly” to Baldwin.
Torraco stated via Vanity Fair that Torraco was not distracted, he wasn’t under duress, and he didn’t overlook anything. He did his job according to what he was taught. Because they are professionals, he relied on them to do his job.
Former colleagues of Halls railed against his work after the incident, as did Gutierrez Reed.
5. Gun discharged
Baldwin would also serve as producer of the film. He said this in a December 2021 sit down interview that he didn’t pull the trigger.
Carmack-Altwies stated that Baldwin’s insistence that he didn’t fire the weapon was a surprise to Carmack-Altwies when she watched the interview.
I didn’t know much about guns. Not even 1850s-era revolvers. “I was shocked when I heard it,” she said to Vanity Fair.
Baldwin claimed that he had only taken the hammer off the revolver. Carmack-Altwies stated that she suggested to one her investigators that Baldwin bring his own revolver from a period era into the office for an education and firearms inspection course.
She explained that one of the investigators in our office has an old-fashioned revolver and that he brought it to me.
Carmack-Altwies explained that they showed her visually how to pull the hammer back while not actually pulling the trigger or locking it. It can be pulled back partially, but it won’t lock. The firing pin can then hit the primer of a bullet if it is released.
According to Vanity Fair, “What the district attorney does using that information will become more clear as the year progresses.”
Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department stated that it is waiting for FBI results that will shed light on how this gun was fired. This could be either by pulling back the hammer, which strikes the firing pin, or pulling the trigger.
