‘Rust’ Armorer Reportedly Never Checked Alec Baldwin’s Gun Before Shooting
By Kristin Myers on February 4, 2023 at 8:30 AM EST
Actor Alec Baldwin and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have each been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
First assistant director Dave Halls, who pled guilty to the charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon, is due in court later this month along with Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed.
Although Baldwin was spotted out and about playing poker with his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, on the day he was formally charged, Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, Jason Bowles, has been speaking out in her defense.
‘Rust’ Armorer’s Attorney Claims She Never Inspected Alec Baldwin’s Gun For Bullets
After the charges were first announced on January 19, the lawyer for the "Rust" armorer, Jason Bowles, released a statement, saying, “Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.”
“These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts,” Bowles added. “We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”
Earlier this week, Bowles appeared on TMZ Live, where he shared a few more details about the fatal shooting. Bowles says that Gutierrez-Reed asked first assistant director Dave Halls to let her know when Alec Baldwin was going to handle the gun so she could expect it on the day Halyna Hutchins was shot.
She also reportedly wanted to give Baldwin proper instruction on how to handle the gun before they rehearsed the scene inside a church, where the fatal shooting happened.
However, Bowles says that Halls never told Gutierrez-Reed that the shooting was about to take place. Instead, the “Rust” armorer maintains that Halls, who did plead guilty, handed the gun over to Baldwin without following proper safety procedures.
If that wasn’t enough, Bowles said that Hannah was “stretched very thin” on set and had several duties that conflicted with her ability to properly oversee the weaponry. Apparently, her duties between being an armorer and handling props became so cumbersome that she actually sent an email to the production team to let them know that she needed to step back from props to focus on her duties as an armorer. According to Bowles, the production team reportedly denied her request.
Director Joel Souza Also Puts The Fault On First Assistant Director Dave Halls
In the 551-page police report, director Joel Souza also pointed the figure at first assistant director Dave Halls for failing to follow proper gun safety procedures on set. He told police that on October 21, the day Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot, that Dave had announced it was a “cold gun” before the crew took a break for lunch.
However, it looks like Souza also directs some of the blame in Baldwin’s direction, as he maintains that the script did not require to actually hold his firearm for the scene.
According to the police report: “Joel explained, the shot required Alec to slowly draw the gun and partially take it out of the holster. When asked if the shot required Alec to fully draw the weapon and point it, Joel stated ‘no’ because they didn’t get that far.”
Souza had been standing directly behind Hutchins when the gun was fired. According to the medical examiner’s report, Baldwin “raised the firearm towards the camera as part of the rehearsal, which subsequently discharges and struck Ms. Hutchins, as well as the director, who was reportedly standing behind Ms. Hutchins. The projectile was later recovered from the director at a hospital.”
Alec Baldwin Claims He Never Pulled The Trigger
On Thursday, December 2, 2021, ABC News aired an exclusive interview between the “30 Rock” actor and news anchor George Stephanopoulos. During the interview, Stephanopoulos stated, “It wasn’t in the script for the trigger to be pulled.”
“Well, the trigger wasn’t pulled,” Baldwin responded. “I didn’t pull the trigger.” Baldwin maintained, “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never.”
When asked how a real bullet ended up on a movie set, Baldwin replied, “I have no idea. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
None of the other "Rust" producers were criminally charged in the shooting.
