Rust shooting incident

In an affidavit, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office stated that neither Baldwin nor first assistant director David Halls knew that the gun in question was loaded.

[11][12] The judge found that authorities, in an "intentional and deliberate" manner, withheld evidence from the defense, regarding a set of bullets, and that this displayed "signs of scorching prejudice".

On her first film, The Old Way, several crew members complained about her handling of firearms, including an incident in which she discharged a weapon without warning and caused lead actor Nicolas Cage to walk off set.

[23][24] In the same year, Halls had been fired from working on the film Freedom's Path after a firearm discharged unexpectedly on set, wounding a crew member.

[28] The beginning of Rust's production came amidst a potential strike by members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) over working conditions and low pay.

The letter added that "The descriptions of Rust as a chaotic, dangerous and exploitative workplace are false and distract from what matters the most: the memory of (DP) Halyna Hutchins, and the need to find modern alternatives to outdated industry firearm and safety practices.

[18][34] According to a statement given to TheWrap by an anonymous insider, several crew members took a number of prop guns off-set that day, including the firearm involved in the incident, to pass the time shooting at beer cans with live ammunition.

[19][42][43][44] According to a search warrant, the guns were briefly checked by Gutierrez-Reed, before assistant director David Halls took the Pietta revolver from the prop cart and handed it to Baldwin.

[53] Souza was treated by EMS and transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, where he was admitted and released by the following morning.

[57][58][53] 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.

The report also stated that the gun was reconstructed after it was broken during earlier testing by the FBI and was later "found to function properly and in accordance with the operational design of original Colt 1873 single-action revolvers.

[79] In February 2023, the producers agreed to pay a reduced penalty of $100,000 to resolve the OSHA case with the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.

[92] On March 31, 2023, Halls pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine and 24 hours of community service.

[96] On June 22, 2023, Gutierrez-Reed faced a second charge of tampering with evidence, in which the special prosecutors allege that she transferred "narcotics to another person with the intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of herself.

"[5] They later specify from a June 29 court filing that she attempted to conceal a small bag of cocaine the night of the fatal shooting after her initial police interview.

[8][102][103] On January 31, he pleaded not guilty and under the conditions of release, Baldwin was barred from possessing any firearms, consuming alcohol, leaving the country or coming into contact with anyone who may testify in the case.

[108] On May 24, 2024, Sante Fe-based Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer denied a motion which was filed by Baldwin to dismiss his trial, thus clearing the way to move forward.

"[113] On the evening of July 11, 2024, Baldwin's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case over allegations prosecutors hid evidence regarding the source of the bullets loaded into the gun.

[122][120][121] On October 25, Judge Sommer again upheld her dismissal of the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, ruling that the prosecution failed to raise any factual or legal arguments which would have justified reversing her decision.

[14] In November 2022, the court rejected a request to dismiss Mitchell's lawsuit against Baldwin and his production company[128] and in March 2023, the judge paused her civil case until February 2024.

[129] On February 15, 2022, after nearly three months of legal preparation,[130][131] the Hutchins family filed a wrongful death suit which named Baldwin, Halls, Gutierrez-Reed, prop master Sarah Zachry, and others as defendants and sought unspecified damages.

[136] On June 5, 2024, Hutchins' family and former script supervisor Mamie Mitchell filed a new negligence lawsuit against Baldwin and the production in Santa Fe, New Mexico after their original suits were withdrawn in Los Angeles Superior Court.

[137] Shortly after the criminal case against Baldwin was dismissed on July 12, 2024, lawyers for Hutchins' widower and parents announced they vow to seek civil litigation against the actor.

[138][139] On January 9, 2025, Baldwin filed a civil rights lawsuit against the district attorney and other officials in Santa Fe, New Mexico alleging wrongful prosecution for manslaughter in the death of Hutchins.

[141] Many of the film's crew gave mixed reactions towards the news, with some supporting it and planning on resuming their work on it, while others condemned the decision and decided to not return.

The statement also said that she "fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department", and that she had no idea where the live rounds came from.

[35] On November 1, Halls released a statement to the New York Post in which he paid his respects to Hutchins and said he hoped the incident would cause "the industry to reevaluate its values and practices to ensure no one is harmed through the creative process again".

[156] Bill Dill, a cinematographer who was a teacher for Hutchins at the AFI, also suggested using special effects instead, calling it "archaic" that "real guns with blanks in them" are used in film.

TV and movie cops brandish and fire their weapons often, but in reality, a police officer rarely draws his or her gun (outside of a shooting range) in the course of an entire career.

"[165] In a Facebook post, the gaffer on the film set, Serge Svetnoy, said that "to save a dime sometimes [producers] hire people who are not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job.