Rust trial: How events unfolded after fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin film set

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died on the set of Western film Rust in New Mexico in 2021, after a gun held by Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fired a live round while he was rehearsing a scene.

He has denied pulling the trigger and has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He is expected to go on trial in July.

The film’s armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the weapons on the set, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Here is a summary of the events so far.

Halyna Hutchins dies and director Joel Souza is injured after Alec Baldwin fires a prop gun on a film set for 19th Century western Rust in New Mexico.

Ukrainian-born Hutchins was shot while working as the film’s director of photography. The 42-year-old was flown to hospital by helicopter, but died of her injuries. Souza was taken by ambulance from the scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch.

Baldwin, who is also a co-producer of Rust, plays the film’s lead and namesake – an outlaw whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of manslaughter. The actor, 64, is best-known as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, and for his portrayal of Donald Trump on sketch show Saturday Night Live.

Speaking at the time, he said: “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.” He said he was “fully co-operating with the police investigation”.

In his first statement since the on-set shooting, injured director Souza says he is “gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague” Hutchins.

Hutchins was fatally shot in the chest. Souza, who had been standing behind her, was treated in hospital for a wound to the shoulder, and later discharged.

Court submissions show assistant director David Halls did not know the gun contained live ammunition, and indicated it was unloaded by shouting “cold gun!”

A vigil takes place in New Mexico to mourn Hutchins, with industry professionals among those lighting candles in her memory.

Legal documents reveal Alec Baldwin was drawing a revolver across his body and pointing it at a camera during the on-set rehearsal when the gun fired.

It is revealed Rust’s assistant director, David Halls, had been sacked from a previous production, war drama Freedom’s Path, over gun safety violations in 2019.

A statement from the producers of that film told news agency AFP that Halls was dismissed after a crew member “incurred a minor and temporary injury when a gun was unexpectedly discharged”.

Halls could not be reached for comment. There is no suggestion that he was at fault for the Rust incident.

Criminal charges may still be filed over the shooting on the set of Rust, police say, a week after the tragedy.

Investigators said a “lead projectile” had been removed from director Souza’s shoulder, and that it appeared to be a live round.

Sante Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said police had recovered 600 pieces of evidence so far – including three firearms and 500 rounds of ammunition.

Baldwin speaks publicly for the first time since the shooting, calling Hutchins “my friend”.

“The day I arrived in Santa Fe and started shooting I took her [Hutchins] to dinner with Joel,” he said. “We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together, and then this horrible event happened.”

He said police had ordered him not to discuss the ongoing investigation, but described the accident as a “one-in-a-trillion episode”.

He tells reporters he would be in favour of limiting the future use of firearms on film productions to protect people’s safety.

A legal action against Alec Baldwin alleges that the film script did not require him to fire a gun when he fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Script supervisor Mamie Mitchell – who called police after the shooting on the New Mexico film set – filed the case.

Her lawyer, Gloria Allred, accused the actor of “playing Russian roulette” when he fired the gun without checking it first.

Police obtain a further warrant to search the premises of an arms supplier.

An affidavit – a written statement of evidence – with the warrant says police were told ammunition for the film had come from several sources, including PDQ Arm & Prop.

The affidavit said the ammunition supplier’s owner, Seth Kenney, had told investigators the live round may have been from some “reloaded ammunition”.

He said the ammunition he supplied for the film consisted of dummy rounds and blanks, according to the affidavit.

Baldwin admits his acting career may be over, telling George Stephanopoulos of ABC News: “It could be”, adding that he did not care.

He also says he “didn’t pull the trigger” of the gun during the incident, and adds: “Someone put a live bullet in a gun. I know it’s not me.”

Baldwin said that, while he didn’t feel guilty, the incident had left him emotionally scarred.

According to court records, Halls was given the gun by Gutierrez-Reed. Her lawyers have said she did not know where “the live rounds came from”. That question lies at the centre of the police investigation.

Police obtain a search warrant for Baldwin’s phone, issued by a Sante Fe court. The warrant claims “there may be evidence on the phone” that could be “material and relevant to this investigation”.

Investigators move to confiscate Baldwin’s iPhone to look at text messages, emails, web browser history and other information.

Despite obtaining a search warrant more than three weeks earlier, in December, officials say they have been unable to obtain Baldwin’s phone.

The actor hits back at suggestions he is not complying with the investigation.

In a long video message posted to his Instagram page, the actor says “any suggestion” he had been deliberately evasive with investigators was a “lie”.

“They can’t just go through your phone and take your photos, or your love letters to your wife, or what have you,” Mr Baldwin said. “That is a process that takes time. But of course we are going to comply 1000% with all that.”

Gutierrez-Reed sues the prop supplier, alleging his company distributed “a mix of dummy and live ammunition” on set.

She filed her legal claim in New Mexico state court, and is seeking unspecified damages from Seth Kenney and PDQ Arm and Prop LLC. Kenney has not yet commented.

Her claim states: “The ammunition was misrepresented as only dummy ammunition when it contained both dummy and live ammunition.”

But in December, Kenney had told Good Morning America: “It’s not possible that they [the live rounds] came from PDQ or myself personally.”

Court documents state Gutierrez-Reed said police discovered seven bullets suspected of being live after the shooting, according to AFP news agency.

The documents said the bullets were distributed among a box of cartridges with other ammunition and cartridge belts, intended for the actors to use as accessories.

Baldwin turns over his mobile phone to police investigating the fatal shooting.

Hutchins’ family brings a lawsuit against Baldwin, assistant director Halls, armourer Gutierrez-Reed and prop master Sarah Zachry.

It alleges Baldwin “recklessly shot and killed” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in October 2021.

Lawyers for the Hutchins’ family say she would still be alive if crew members had not cut corners.

The case was filed in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico on behalf of the cinematographer’s husband, Matthew, and son Andros, and seeks unspecified damages.

Hutchins’ husband says it is “absurd” that Baldwin is not taking responsibility for her death.

Matthew Hutchins tells NBC’s Today: “I was angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way, and then to not accept responsibility after having just described killing her.”

Source: BBC NEWS