Alec Baldwin calls 'Rust' shooting tragedy 'one in trillion event'
What's the story
Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin spoke out publicly for the first time about the fatal shooting tragedy on the sets of Rust recently. Pulling over a roadside in Vermont, where Baldwin is currently staying along with his family, the actor addressed an impromptu press conference with photographers. His wife, Hilaria, was also present there. The investigation into the shooting incident is still underway. Here's more.
Details
'Horrible' incident happened despite having 'very, very well-oiled crew': Baldwin
Informing the press that he is fully cooperating with the police, The Boss Baby actor said the "horrible" incident happened even though they were "a very, very well-oiled crew" shooting the Western. Calling Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who died in the incident, his "friend," Baldwin refused to comment on the "active investigation." But he reasoned the accident was "a one in a trillion event."
Props
He urged Hollywood to reform use of guns on sets
The 63-year-old also commented on limiting the use of firearms on film sets. "We have to realize that when it does go wrong and it's this horrible, catastrophic thing, some new measures have to take place." He opined "rubber guns, plastic guns" should be used but no real armaments should be on set. Earlier, reports of safety mismanagement on the Rust sets had emerged.
Twitter Post
Earlier, Baldwin had addressed the issue on Twitter
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— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021
There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and
Looking back
Complaints of safety mismanagement have emerged on 'Rust' set
On the day Baldwin's misfired shot fatally wounded Hutchins, at least six workers had walked off protesting against the working conditions. Reportedly, multiple misfiring incidents had happened on set apart from other complaints. Court documents showed an assistant director had handed Baldwin the gun, declaring it was "cold," i.e., unloaded. Before this, armorer Hannah Gutierrez had placed the gun on a cart on set.
Investigation
Police looking into how and why live rounds were present
Meanwhile, investigators have recovered the "lead projectile" from director Joel Souza's shoulder. Souza was also injured from the shot. This projectile appeared to be a live round and the police "suspect there were other live rounds... on set." This shouldn't have been the case. The investigators aren't ruling out any person as of now and there's a chance that criminal charges may be filed.