Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office released data files that include lapel camera recordings of a commanding officer arriving at a ranch set for film. The recording was taken while he was attending to wounded patients. An evacuation helicopter is whirling overhead. The gun is found by the armorer of the movie production, who collapses in tears.
Other videos show investigators debriefing Baldwin after the shooting. They talk with him in a small office. There are also rehearsal clips showing Baldwin dressed up as he tries to draw a quick gun maneuver.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated in a statement, that the investigation is ongoing and continues as he awaits results from ballistics and forensic analysis by the FBI. He also said that studies of fingerprints and DNA are being done.
In a statement, he stated that the sheriff’s office would release all files related to our ongoing investigation. These files include photographs of ammunition and examination reports.
Baldwin was shooting at Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer, while she was working on a scene on a ranch near Santa Fe, when the gun went off. It killed Hutchins, and wounded the director Joel Souza. They were inside a small church as they set up for filming.
Baldwin makes several panicked calls while he waits for a meeting with police officers in a video that was taken later that day.
He says, “You don’t know how amazing this is or how bizarre this is,” over the telephone.
Two investigators questioned Baldwin about what happened when the gun went off. He was apparently unaware of Hutchins’ death and shocked to discover that he was holding a gun with live ammunition. Baldwin stated that the gun should not have been empty to allow for rehearsals without filming.
“I slowly take the gun out. Baldwin replies, “I turn, and I cock it.” It goes off. Hutchins (She) falls to the ground. She goes down. “He (Souza), goes down screaming.”
Souza described his experiences from an emergency room in a hospital, where he was treated and interrogated by investigators for a bullet injury.
Souza described “a loud bang and then it felt as if someone kicked me in my shoulder.” He also knew Hutchins was hurt and asked her if she was okay.
Baldwin repeatedly states in the Oct. 21 video that there have been no problems with firearms at the Rust set.
These statements are inconsistent with recent findings of state occupational safety regulators who issued a maximum fine of almost $137,000 last week against the Rust film production company.
New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau ruled that Rust Movie Productions had to pay $136,793. They also published a detailed narrative detailing safety failures in violation industry protocols. It included testimony that production managers did not take any action or limited to correct two misfires at the set before the fatal shooting.
Also, the bureau documented crew members’ gun safety complaints that were ignored and stated that weapons specialists were not permitted to make decisions regarding additional safety training. Rust Movie Productions indicated that it would contest the findings and sanctions.
Baldwin stated in a December interview with ABC News, that he was on the set pointing the gun at Hutchins as she instructed and it went off without him pulling the trigger.
