Alec Baldwin retweeted a news article about “Rust” assistant director Dave Halls telling officials he “should have checked” all the rounds during a gun inspection on the movie’s set.
The article, which was published by the New York Times, referenced a search warrant affidavit released Wednesday, less than a week after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally wounded by a shot from a prop firearm that was being handled by Baldwin.
In the affidavit, investigators say Halls told officials he “could only remember seeing three rounds” when he inspected the gun.
“He advised he should have checked them all, but didn’t, and couldn’t recall if (armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed) had spun the gun,” reads the document, which was released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the Western movie in which he drew a gun and pointed it toward a camera when the incident occurred last Thursday, the film’s director, Joel Souza, told investigators last week.
Halls told authorities he didn’t realize the gun was loaded, and described the situation as “not a deliberate act.”
No one has been ruled out from facing charges as an investigation continues, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said Wednesday.
“We are not at the juncture yet,” Carmack-Altwies said at a press conference. “If the facts and evidence and law support charges, then I will initiate prosecution at that time.”
Authorities suspect additional live rounds were on the movie’s set that day, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.
“We suspect that there were other live rounds, but that’s up to the testing,” Mendoza said at the press conference. “Right now, we’re going to determine how those got there, and why they were there, because they shouldn’t have been.”
Baldwin, Halls and Gutierrez Reed are each cooperating with the investigation, Mendoza said.
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin tweeted Friday.
Baldwin, who is also a producer for the movie, previously posted a Variety article referencing an affidavit that said Halls declared a “cold gun” was on set, indicating the firearm wasn’t loaded.
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