Serge Svetnoy, chief electrician for Rust, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that he had held Hutchins his arms while she was dying and blamed “negligence and unprofessionalism” for her death.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing unidentified sources connected to the production, said the gun handed to Baldwin had previously been used by crew members for target practice off-set, using real bullets.
Reuters could not verify the report and police in Santa Fe did not respond to inquiries on Sunday.
According to the Los Angeles Times, more than a week ago Baldwin’s stunt double accidentally fired two rounds from a prop firearm after being told it was “cold”, an industry term meaning a weapon is not loaded with ammunition, including blanks.
Rust Movie Productions said last week that although they “were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down”.
According to court documents, the prop gun was handed to Baldwin by the film’s assistant director, Dave Halls, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the business.
Halls did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday. Also involved in the sheriff’s probe is the movie’s chief armorer, Hannah Gutierrez. She could not be reached for comment.
About 200 people took part in the vigil for Hutchins in Albuquerque on Saturday. While organizers emphasized that the event was to honor Hutchins’ memory, rather than focus on her death, some in the crowd held signs that read “Safety on Set.”
A second vigil was held on Sunday in the Los Angeles area, where a few hundred people mourned in a private parking lot, according to a Reuters photographer.
For all the latest world News Click Here
