Film crew voiced complaints before fatal on-set shooting

Prop_Firearm_Lax_Regulations_63592 FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2014 photo, Chad Stahelski, co-director of the film, "John Wick," demonstrates proper gun handling during a training session at 87Eleven Action Design in Inglewood, Calif. 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. (Photo by Casey Curry/Invision/AP, File)
Prop_Firearm_Lax_Regulations_31424 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)
Prop_Firearm_Lax_Regulations_66708 FILE - In this Jan. 30, 1986, file photo, actor Brandon Lee, son of the late martial arts expert and film star Bruce Lee, poses for a picture. Court records show that an assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of a Western, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. The tragedy comes nearly three decades after Brandon Lee died in a similar case, and it has prompted horrified questions about how it could have happened again. (AP Photo/Lacy Atkins, File)
Prop_Firearm_Lax_Regulations_69937 FILE - In this Nov. 12, 1982, file photo, actor Jon-Erik Hexum poses for a picture. In 1984, Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series “Cover Up.” Court records show that an assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of a Western, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Wally Fong, File)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_21194 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_04679 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_74485 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_63592 FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2014 photo, Chad Stahelski, co-director of the film, "John Wick," demonstrates proper gun handling during a training session at 87Eleven Action Design in Inglewood, Calif. 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. (Photo by Casey Curry/Invision/AP, File)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_31424 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_66708 FILE - In this Jan. 30, 1986, file photo, actor Brandon Lee, son of the late martial arts expert and film star Bruce Lee, poses for a picture. Court records show that an assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of a Western, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. The tragedy comes nearly three decades after Brandon Lee died in a similar case, and it has prompted horrified questions about how it could have happened again. (AP Photo/Lacy Atkins, File)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_69937 FILE - In this Nov. 12, 1982, file photo, actor Jon-Erik Hexum poses for a picture. In 1984, Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series “Cover Up.” Court records show that an assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of a Western, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Wally Fong, File)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_77325 A car passes by the entrance to 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/Jae C. Hong)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_63919 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_21653 A broadcast journalist gives her live report outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff office 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 Bonanza Creek Film Ranch in Santa Fe, on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities were investigating. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_49367 A news cameraman records the entrance of the Santa Fe County Sheriff office 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 Bonanza Creek Film Ranch in Santa Fe, on Thursday, Oct. 21, killing the cinematographer, officials said. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities were investigating. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_63852 A no trespassing sign hangs from a perimeter fence at 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_88819 An old wooden sign is seen at the entrance of the Bonanza Creek Film Ranch headquarters 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_81098 The exterior of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 appears, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, in Los Angeles. Cinematographer and guild member Halyna Hutchins was killed Thursday and director Joel Souza injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western film in Santa Fe, N.M. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_55466 An American flag flies 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_15941 Private security stand 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_21867 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_70564 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)
Prop_Firearm_Movie_Set_18341 A "No Trespassing sign" hangs at the entrance to 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)
(1/23)

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Hours before actor Alec Baldwin fired a fatal gunshot from a prop gun that he had been told was safe, a camera crew for the movie he was filming walked off the job to protest conditions and production issues that included safety concerns.

Disputes in the production of the Western film “Rust” began almost from the start in early October and culminated with seven crew members walking off several hours before 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

The crew members had expressed their discontent with matters that ranged from safety procedures to their housing accommodations, according to one of those who left. He requested anonymity for fear that speaking up would hurt his prospects for future jobs. Rust Movie Productions did not answer emails Friday and Saturday seeking comment.

At a rehearsal on the film set Thursday at Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe, 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 the court records.

Court records indicate that an assistant director, Dave Halls, grabbed a prop gun off a cart and handed it to Baldwin, indicating incorrectly that the weapon didn’t carry live rounds by yelling “cold gun.”

When Baldwin pulled the trigger, he unwittingly killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her inside a wooden, chapel-like building.

Baldwin, 63, who is known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” and his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” has described the killing as a “tragic accident.” He was a producer of “Rust.”

Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment.

A 911 call that alerted authorities to the shooting at the Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe hints at the panic on the movie set, as detailed in a recording released by the Santa Fe County Regional Emergency Communications Center.

“We had two people accidentally shot on a movie set by a prop gun, we need help immediately,” script supervisor Mamie Mitchell told an emergency dispatcher. “We were rehearsing and it went off, and I ran out, we all ran out.”

The dispatcher asked if the gun was loaded with a real bullet.

“I cannot tell you. We have two injuries,” Mitchell replied. “And this (expletive) AD (assistant director) that yelled at me at lunch, asking about revisions….He’s supposed to check the guns. He’s responsible for what happens on the set.”

The Associated Press was unable to contact Hannah Gutierrez, the film’s armorer, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with “Rust” did not receive responses Friday.

Court records say that Halls grabbed the firearm from the cart and brought it inside to the actor, also unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in a search warrant application.

It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say.

Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges intended to produce little more than a flash and a bang.

New Mexico workplace safety investigators are examining if film industry standards for gun safety were followed during production of “Rust.” The Los Angeles Times, citing two crew members it did not name, reported that five days before the shooting, Baldwin’s stunt double accidentally fired two live rounds after being told the gun didn’t have any ammunition.

A crew member who was alarmed by the misfires told a unit production manager in a text message, “We’ve now had 3 accidental discharges. This is super unsafe,” according to a copy of the message reviewed by the newspaper. The New York Times also reported that there were at least two earlier accidental gun discharges; it cited three former crew members.

Mitchell, the script supervisor, told The Associated Press she was standing next to Hutchins when the cinematographer was hit.

“I ran out and called 911 and said ‘Bring everybody, send everybody,’” Mitchell said. “This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman.”

Filmmaker Souza, who was shot in the shoulder, said in a statement to NBC News that he was grateful for the support he was receiving and gutted by the loss of Hutchins. “She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to be better,” he said.

Santa Fe-area District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said prosecutors will be reviewing evidence in the shooting and do not know if charges will be filed.

Hutchins’ husband Matthew Hutchins posted on social media to mourn his wife’s loss, ask for privacy for his family, and thank her friends and mentors at the American Film Institute, who he said “nurtured the success we had only just begun to see flourish.”

The institute’s conservatory canceled cinematography classes Friday in response to Hutchins’ death.

At a vigil Saturday around 200 film crew workers gathered for a candlelight vigil as the sun set. They shared grief at the loss of one of their own, and fear of accidents on their own film sets.

Several in attendance lit candles, held a moment of silence, read poetry and made brief comments including one testimonial to her artistic spark and generosity.

“Her death shouldn’t have happened, Union sets should be safe sets,” said Liz Pecos, president of IATSE Local 480.

Production on “Rust” was halted after the shooting. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website.

The crew member that spoke to the AP said he never witnessed any formal orientation about weapons used on set, which normally would take place before filming begins.

He also said only minimal COVID-19 precautions were taken even though crew and cast members often worked in small enclosed spaces on the ranch.

The crew was initially housed at the Courtyard by Marriot in Santa Fe, according to the crew member. Four days in, however, they were told that going forward they would be housed at the budget Coyote South hotel. Some crew members balked at staying there.

“We packed our gear and left that morning,” the crew member said of the Thursday walkout.

The Los Angeles Times and Variety also reported on the walkout.

Gutierrez, the film’s armorer, is the daughter of a longtime Hollywood firearms expert. She gave an interview in September to the Voices of the West podcast in which she said she had learned how to handle guns from her father since she was a teenager.

During the podcast interview, Gutierrez shared that she just finished her first movie in the role of head armorer, a project in Montana starring Nicolas Cage titled “The Old Way.”

“I was really nervous about it at first and I almost didn’t take the job because I wasn’t sure if I was ready but doing it, like, it went really smoothly,” she said.

In another on-set gun death from 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was killed by a bullet left in a prop gun after a previous scene. Similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds during historical re-enactments.

Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience.

___

Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York; Lizzie Knight in London; Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine; Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Walter Berry in Phoenix; and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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