Rust. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was tragically killed in October this year after a prop gun used by Baldwin accidentally discharged a live round. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also hit and injured during the incident.
While no arrests have been made in relation to the case, an investigation into the incident is ongoing. Recently, police acquired a search warrant for the 63-year-old actor’s phone in order to obtain any messages, calls or media files relating to the production. Though authorities have so far found no one person responsible for the accident, a list of parties who could have helped to enable the Rust set being an unsafe work environment has developed. Among those names are assistant director David Halls, who allegedly neglected to properly check Baldwin’s gun on the day of the incident, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for all weaponry on set. The Rust tragedy has placed a microscope over Hollywood’s gun safety practises, causing filmmakers and stars such as Dwayne Johnson to pledge never to use them in future projects.
In a video posted to his official Instagram , Baldwin said he “wanted to take a moment” to say thank you. The SNL star, who has been at the centre of both the investigation and the media frenzy surrounding the shooting, looked tired as he thanked the fans who “sent me such kind words and best wishes and strength and hope and prayers, thoughts and lots of encouragement.” Baldwin continued that he was looking forward “to some aspects of this being behind me,” but added that for those present on the Rust set, the accident would “never be behind us because someone died so tragically.” He ended the video by wishing fans a Merry Christmas, stating: “I hope you’re as lucky as I am […] that you’re home with your family.” View the original post below.
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Attention has firmly been on Baldwin since news of the Rust on-set incident first broke. The actor had initially been spotted comforting the family of Hutchins in the days following the accident, before he and his family seemed to retreat from the media spotlight which was following them. In late October, a video surfaced which apparently showed Baldwin and his wife pulling over their car to address the reporters who had been pursuing them, distressing their children. Recently, further questions were raised in relation to the shooting after Baldwin claimed in his first interview since the tragedy that he did not pull the trigger on the gun which discharged.
While the investigation continues into both the Rust incident and the general work environment of the movie's set, it seems unlikely that the scrutiny surrounding Baldwin will dwindle. With updates on the case still funnelling in sporadically and no charges filed, the public remains eager for answers and the assurance that measures will be taken against future incidents. Regardless of the outcome of the police investigation, the Rust tragedy seems a difficult one to balance, with the alleged negligence of multiple people seemingly contributing to the incident. However, Hutchins' family will of course hope that the investigation bears some results, though whether it will end with someone facing charges remains to be seen.
Source: Alec Baldwin
