News Analysis India

Tag: Rust set shooting

  • Search warrant issued to seize Alec Baldwin’s phone in ‘Rust’ shooting case

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: A search warrant has been issued by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office to investigate actor Alec Baldwin’s cellphone for information related to the fatal shooting of ‘Rust’ cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

    According to Variety, the veteran actor’s phone will be searched as a part of the ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting of Hutchins on October 21.

    Variety obtained the affidavit attached to the warrant, in which Detective Alexandria Hancock said that investigators are seeking evidence that may help “complete a full investigation”.

    Hancock also stated that she had asked Baldwin and his attorney to voluntarily turn over the phone, and she was told to get a warrant.

    In the affidavit, Hancock said she had also conducted a brief search of late Hutchins’ phone, and found “conversations about the production dating back to July 14.”

    The affidavit obtained by Variety also includes details of Baldwin’s initial interview with Sheriff’s detectives, where he stated that he had exchanged emails with the armourer on the production named Hannah Gutierrez Reed. He discussed with her about what type of gun to use following which she showed him various options. Lastly, he had selected the Colt .45 to use in the film.

    “He said he requested a bigger gun, and she also showed him different styles of knives for the production. Alec was shown a Colt with a brown handle, and a cherry handle and he ultimately chose the one with the brown handle,” the affidavit stated.

    For the uninformed, in his first public interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos post the controversy, Baldwin said he had been told that “it’s highly unlikely that I would be charged with anything criminally.”

    The following day, local prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a statement saying that no charges had been ruled out against anyone.

    As per Variety, Gutierrez Reed and Dave Halls, the first assistant director, had voluntarily turned over their phones. Baldwin’s attorney told the paper that he was willing to turn over his phone, but needed to “protect his privacy on unrelated matters.”

    The warrant seeks “all information and data from the cellular phone in relation to the production of ‘Rust,’ and any member working on the production.”

    Such data may include contacts, text messages, photos, videos, call history, and GPS data. 

  • Film set gunfire: Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ producers sued by film’s script supervisor

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: A lawsuit has been filed against ‘Rust’ star Alec Baldwin and the film’s producers over the fatal shooting, which took place on the sets, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

    As per Variety, the script supervisor on ‘Rust’ filed the lawsuit against Baldwin and the film’s producers on Wednesday, saying she suffered both “physical and emotional” injuries when Baldwin accidentally shot the film’s cinematographer while preparing for a scene.

    Mamie Mitchell filed the suit in the Los Angeles Superior Court and is represented by attorney Gloria Allred. In the complaint, she stated that she was standing just four feet from Baldwin when the gun went off.

    “Plaintiff was terrified and feared for her life. The gunshot caused Plaintiff to experience pain in her ears and head and, shortly thereafter, Plaintiff began to hear loud ringing in her ears. Soon after, Plaintiff witnessed the horror of what had occurred,” the suit stated.

    The lawsuit also alleged that Baldwin should have checked the gun to make sure it was unloaded and also accused the producers of cost-cutting measures that led to the incident.

    The suit also cited a text message from the film’s camera operator, in which he complained of two accidental discharges on the set prior to the October 21 shooting. Mitchell was the first to call 911 after the incident.

    “I’ll never forget what happened on the set of ‘Rust’ that day. This violent tragedy has taken away the joy of my life… I never want what happened on our set to ever happen to anyone else,” Mitchell said at a press conference.

    The lawsuit is the second to be filed in the ‘Rust’ tragedy. Serge Svetnoy, the film’s gaffer, filed a separate claim last week, stating that he, too, was in close proximity to Baldwin when the shot was fired and also suffered physical and emotional harm.

    Mitchell’s suit stated claims of assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and deliberate infliction of harm.

    In addition to Baldwin and the film’s producers, the suit also names several crew members as defendants, including armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed and first assistant director Dave Halls.

    The producers and executive producers named in the suit are Ryan Donnell Smith, Allen Cheney, Nathan Klingher, Ryan Winterstern, Matt DelPiano, Anjul Nigam, Emily Salveson, Jennifer Lamb and Chris M.B. Sharp.

    Filming on ‘Rust’ has been halted and an investigation into the October 21 incident is ongoing. No charges have been filed yet. 

  • Alec Baldwin wants police officers on sets to monitor weapons safety

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Weeks after a fatal shooting on the sets of the movie ‘Rust’, actor Alec Baldwin has urged Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns and other weapons.

    “Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapons safety,” Baldwin tweeted from his account, which is now private. He also shared a screenshot of the tweet on his Instagram handle.

    Many social media users expressed similar opinions on Baldwin’s post.

    “Absolutely! Or maybe real guns shouldn’t be used on set. That’s just an idea,” a netizen commented.

    “Continued support to you, your family, cast and crew. I’m confident you’ll find a way to make important changes in film production,” another one wrote.

    For the unversed, on October 21, director of photography Halyna Hutchiwas was killed, and director Joel Souza wounded, on the set of the indie-western film ‘Rust’ when, during a rehearsal, a gun fired by Baldwin shot a live round despite the actor being told it was a cold gun.

  • Alec Baldwin and family celebrate Halloween days after on-set ‘Rust’ shooting

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Actor Alec Baldwin and his family celebrated Halloween days after the recent on-set ‘Rust’ movie shooting in New Mexico in which the Hollywood star was involved.

    Alec’s wife Hilaria Baldwin recently shared pictures of her family enjoying Halloween on Instagram. The photos come after the on-set shooting that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead and injured director Joel Souza.

    “Parenting through this has been an intense experience, to say the least. Today, we rallied to give them a holiday. Last min costumes…a little hodge-podge…but they were so happy and that warmed my mama heart. Happy Halloween, from the Baldwinitos. They give us. We send you,” she wrote alongside a series of pictures and videos.

    In the photos, the family can be seen posing on the porch of their property smiling at the camera as Alec wears a Viking-style outfit together with a long stringy beard.

    In another, Hilaria is seen matching with her two daughters in black witch-like outfits and spider web fascinators.

    As per Fox News, the post comes a day after the Baldwins spoke to photographers in Vermont, when Alec said he is cooperating with police and has been speaking to them every day. Alec maintained that he could not speak on the active investigation.

    “It’s an active investigation in terms of a woman died, she was my friend,” the actor said.

    “We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together, and then this horrible event happened,” he added.

    Alec admitted the fatal shooting on the set is a “one-in-a-trillion event.”

    “There are incidental accidents on film sets from time to time, but nothing like this,” he said. “This is a one in a trillion episode. It’s a one in a trillion event.”

    The actor further said he is “extremely interested” in limiting the use of firearms onset following the fatal incident.

    In the days after the shooting, Hilaria was spotted driving her husband around a posh ski town. At one point, she could even be seen hiding her head from photographers as the duo tried to keep a low profile amid the investigation into Alec’s involvement in the accidental shooting incident.