An investigation has been launched into the possibility that a “disgruntled” employee planted the real bullet fired by Alec Baldwin which killed Halyna Hutchins.
According to lawyers representing the armorer for ‘Rust’ — Hannah Gutierrez-Reed — they are looking into the possibility that someone intentionally “sabotaged” the set before the tragic shooting took place. As we reported, a “live round” was fired by Baldwin, which should have been a blank.
Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence appeared on the ‘Today Show’ claiming they are investigating whether or not someone planted a live bullet into a box of prop ammunition before the fatal shooting. According to the lawyers, Gutierrez-Reed loaded the bullets into a prop gun that was handed to Alec Baldwin, but it was from a box of “dummy rounds.” In other words, there is NO reason why a live bullet would be in this box.
‘Rust’ Investigation: We Are Assuming Someone Put The Live Round In The Box
“We don’t know whether that live round came from that box. We’re assuming it did. We’re assuming someone put the live round in that box,” Bowles said.
Obviously, if someone actually dropped the real bullet into the box, they would “have to have the purpose of sabotaging the set,” he continued. Adding, “there’s no other reason you would do that.”
During the interview, Savannah Guthrie pushed back asking if the operating theory is that “somebody intentionally placed a live round into a box of dummies for the purpose of it ending up in a weapon that would be used on set” and the lawyer’s responded that they don’t have an exact theory yet, but are considering sabotage as one of them.
“I believe that somebody who would do that would want to sabotage the set, want to prove a point, want to say that they’re disgruntled, they’re unhappy,” he said. Adding, “And we know that people had already walked off the set the day before.” As for the issues on set, the lawyer said crew members were working between 12 to 14 hour days and were not given hotel rooms close by — conditions that made them “unhappy.”
Alec Baldwin Shooting: How Is This Even Possible?!
So, how is this even possible you ask?!
According to Hannah’s legal team, “We know there was a live round in a box of dummy rounds that shouldn’t have been there. At least one live round,” Bowles said.
He continued, “We have people who had left the set, who had walked out because they were disgruntled. We have a time frame between 11 and 1, approximately, that day, in which the firearms at times were unattended, so there was an opportunity to tamper with this scene.” Adding, “The prop ammunition was in … the prop truck. That was completely unattended at all times, giving someone access and opportunity.”
‘Rust’ Shooting Is Still Under Investigation
Interestingly, the legal team did not address the possibility that the live round might have been placed in the dummy box “unintentionally,” including it accidentally being placed in the box by whatever company manufactured the bullets.
As we reported, the deadly shooting is still under investigation by authorities in New Mexico.