Alec Baldwin could still face criminal charges over the accidental on-set shooting in Santa Fe, the authorities have confirmed.
Though the investigation into the horrific shooting that took place on the set for the movie Rust is still in its early stages, prosecutors revealed that “no one has been ruled out” when it comes to criminal charges over the death of photography director Halyna Hutchins who was shot dead by the 63-year-old veteran actor.
As of this writing, three people, including Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and assistant director Dave Halls, remain under scrutiny over their involvement in the tragic incident.
“We’re going to continue interviewing getting the facts,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza said during a press conference as he revealed that all three Rust crew members could still face charges.
“He [Baldwin] is an active part of this investigation we’re still investigating. No one has been ruled out.”
Meanwhile, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies confirmed that “all options are on the table at this point” but insisted it is still too early to point fingers.
The Wednesday press conference comes as the movie’s assistant director, Dave Halls, admitted he had failed to properly check the gun used in the tragic shooting before handing it over to Baldwin.
According to Halls, he only saw three of the pistol’s five chambers and didn’t take notice of the live bullet that was in one of the remaining chambers.
“David advised when Hannah showed him the firearm before continuing rehearsal, he could only remember seeing three rounds. He advised he should have checked them all but didn’t and couldn’t recall if she spun the drum,” the Sante Fe County Sheriff Department’s unsealed search warrant says.
After the gun was handed to Baldwin, the weapon misfired and Hutchins was shot dead.
Following the shooting, Halls immediately took the weapon to the armorer for inspection.
“After the accident, Halls picked up the firearm from a pew inside the church and took it to the armorer. Hannah then was told to open the gun so he could see what was inside,” the search warrant reads.
“He advised he could only remember seeing at least four dummy casings with the hole in the side, and one without the hole.
“He advised this round did not have the ‘cap’ on it and was just the casing. David advised the incident was not a deliberate act.”
Meanwhile, Gutierrez-Reed allegedly told the authorities that weapons were held in a safe and insisted that there weren’t any live rounds on set.
“Hannah advised that she checked the ‘dummies’ and ensured ‘they were not hot rounds.’ She said as the crew broke for lunch, the firearms were taken back and secured inside a safe on a prop truck on set,” the search warrant adds.
“During lunch, she said the ammo was left on a cart on the set and not secured. After lunch, [property manager] Sarah Zachary pulled the firearms out of the safe inside the truck and handed them to her.
“She advised there are only a few people that have access and the combination to the safe. Hannah advised that she handed the gun to Alec Baldwin a couple of times, and also handed it to David Halls. Hannah said no live ammo is ever kept on set.”
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!
Recommended Video For You!
Antique Dealer Spends Weeks Hunting Down Homeless Man Who Sold Him Rare Disney Art For $20