The tragic Rust shooting has been under investigation for several months and now in recently released footage from the film set, Alec Baldwin could be seen holding the gun that fatally misfired. PEOPLE reports that Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has released “all files associated with our ongoing investigation,” which includes a number of photos and videos taken from the Oct. 21 incident. Among the footage is footage of Baldwin practicing the gun-draw scene which eventually led to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins being killed and director Joel Souza being wounded.
“Today the sheriff’s office is releasing all files associated with our ongoing investigation,” Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in a statement. “The files are all related to the Rust movie set investigation and include lapel/dash camera footage from deputies and detectives, incident reports, crime scene photos, examination reports, witness interviews, set video, and staff photos collected throughout the course of this investigation.” Hutchins was killed after a prop F.lli Pietta 45 Long Colt Revolver that Baldwin was holding, discharged. The gun was initially not believed to be loaded with live rounds.
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During an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin claimed that he “didn’t pull the trigger” on the gun, stating that he has no idea why or how it fired a live round. This claim has been backed up by the film’s Assistant Director, David Halls. In a previous statement to Good Morning America, Halls’s attorney Lisa Torraco said, “Dave has told me since the very first day I met him that Alec did not pull that trigger. His finger was never in the trigger guard.”
It was later announced that Baldwin is being sued by Hutchins’ family over the Rust set shooting which claimed her life. According to TMZ, lawyers for Hutchins’ husband and son filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and others from the film’s crew claiming Baldwin intentionally pulled the gun from its holster and pointed it in Hutchins’ direction. “He released the revolver’s hammer, and — BAM — defendant Baldwin fired the revolver,” the suit reads.
In addition to Baldwin, other defendants in the suit include Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director, David Halls. The suit also names multiple production companies, as well as the company that provided the ammunition. In the lawsuit, Hutchins’ family claims that cost-cutting methods — including hiring inexperienced armorers and requiring the armorer to also handle the duties of assistant props master — led to “super unsafe” conditions, as alleged by a camera operator who made safety complaints just days before Hutchins’ death.
