Alec Baldwin was rehearsing pointing a gun at the camera when he shot Halyna Hutchins, affidavit says
- Alec Baldwin was rehearsing when his prop gun killed a cinematographer, an affidavit says.
- "Rust" director Joel Souza said the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot in the chest area.
Alec Baldwin was rehearsing for a scene in "Rust" when he fatally shot a cinematographer with a prop gun, the film's director said in a new affidavit.
Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of "Rust" in New Mexico last Thursday. The cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured.
The affidavit, released on Sunday and obtained by Insider, said the incident took place during a rehearsal.
"Joel stated that they had Alec sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practicing a cross draw. Joel said he was looking over the shoulder of [Hutchins], when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop," the document stated.
The filing said Hutchins was shot in the chest area.
"Joel then vaguely remembers [Hutchins] complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection. Joel also said [Hutchins] began to stumble backwards and she was assisted to the ground," the affidavit said.
The affidavit further states that Baldwin was handed the prop gun by an assistant director, who said "cold gun," The New York Times and the Associated Press reported. The term refers to a gun that is not loaded with any ammunition, not even blank rounds. A search warrant was issued in connection to the deadly shooting on the set of a movie, which was being filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, police said.
A judge ordered that all equipment be searched for evidence, The Times reported.
"Detectives entered the movie set today and continue to interview potential witnesses," Juan Rios, spokesperson for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office, told The New York Times. "Apparently there were quite a few people at the scene of what happened."
"I can confirm that investigators executed a search warrant," Rios said in a statement to Insider.
The shooting took place on Bonanza Creek Ranch, on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Multiple media outlets have reported that days before the shooting, union crew members walked off the set over a range of complaints regarding their working conditions. The Los Angeles Times reported that the crew who left were replaced with non-union workers.
In a tweet on Saturday, Halyna Hutchins's husband, Matt Hutchins, paid tribute to his wife. He said: "Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words. Our loss is enormous, and we ask that the media please respect my family's privacy as we process our grief. We thank everyone for sharing images and stories of her life."