Potential Witnesses Against Alec Baldwin Include ‘Rust’ Director & Crew

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 pled guilty to the charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon. All three individuals are due in court before the end of the month, with Halls expected to attend a plea conference in early March.

It looks like the Santa Fe District Attorney's office is wasting no time assembling a list of possible candidates for the witness pool, including "Rust" director Joel Souza. Souza, who was standing behind Hutchins at the time of the shooting, was hospitalized following the incident.

Ahead of the February 24 preliminary hearing, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has compiled a list of forty-four individuals to serve as potential witnesses. As per Deadline, these are director Joel Souza, script supervisor Maime Mitchell, armorer mentor Seth Kenney, and prop master Sarah Zachry, among others.

The DA’s list also contains FBI forensics examiners and members of the Bureau’s Explosives Unit, who took part in the investigation. Former “Rust” camera assistant Lane Luper had quit the film prior to Hutchins’ death due to safety concerns and had been outspoken about what he had experienced on set before her death. He is also expected to serve as a witness, as well as gaffer Serge Svetnoy.

It’s worth noting that Dave Halls is not listed on the witness list. Halls has been identified as the individual who told Baldwin that he was handling a “cold gun,” when in reality, it contained a live bullet. Halls pled guilty to the charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon, but the terms of his plea agreement are being kept confidential.

Not all crew members were dissatisfied with the gun safety on set. One steady cam operator, Reid Russell, who was standing close to Hutchins when she passed away, told an investigator for the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department that Baldwin was “really safe” with guns on set, as per Deadline.

Russell noted that the “30 Rock” actor, who is a father to eight, was especially concerned with the gun safety regarding the child actors on set. Russell told investigators that, a week before the incident, “there was a boy on set and Alec said he didn’t want the boy near a live gun when it was his turn to fire the gun. Alec had informed the camera crew he wanted the kid removed and away from the gunfire.”

Evidence from the set seems to also help the case of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Her attorney, Jason Bowles, recently claimed that she was “stretched too thin” on set, as previously reported by The Blast.

On October 10, Gutierrez-Reed was supposed to train the child actor for a “big fight scene.” However, line producer Gabriel Pickle told her “that she was allowed eight paid days at the Armorer’s rate in her contract to perform Armorer tasks; the rest of her time was to be spent as the Props Assistant, despite Ms. Gutierrez-Reed informing Ms. Pickle that she would likely need 10 Armorer days in order to ensure all firearms on set are safely operated and maintained, and the actors have completed all necessary firearm training.”

On October 14, the day after the "big fight scene," Gutierrez-Reed reportedly had a conversation with studio teacher Cindy Niedland, who had asked about the bullets that were used on set.

Law enforcement officials noted that Niedland had “asked about the blanks being used, and if they are purchased or re-made from live-ammo, and about the decibel rating of them. Hannah responds and says the blanks are purchased as blanks, industry standard, and states there has never been a projectile in them.”

That same day, Pickle emailed Gutierrez-Reed to tell her that she had been focusing "too much" on her armory responsibilities and not enough time supporting the props department.

The message read: “It has been brought to my attention that you are focusing far more on armor and not supporting props as needed.”

Gutierrez-Reed told Pickle that her position as an armorer was “a very serious job and since we’ve started I’ve had a lot of days where my job should only be to focus on the guns and everyone’s safety.”

She said that she also wanted to make that position her primary responsibility because “there are working guns on set every day and those are ultimately going to be a priority because when they are not, that’s when dangerous mistakes can happen.”