“Rust” set had two “negligent discharges” from fatal shooting: cops

The gunsmith and crew on the ill-fated “Rust” set had problems with “negligent discharges” from gun supports in the week before cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin, according to a newly released police report.

The final report, received by Deadline on Friday, sheds light on how the New Mexico film set was said to be already in chaos before the deadly tragedy struck on Oct. 21, 2021.

Reese Price, a key character on the set who witnessed the Hutchins shooting on the outskirts of Santa Fe, immediately afterwards described the previous problems on the set to police.

He told police that there had been an “accidental discharge” involving gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and others “twice in the last week,” according to the report.

“One of the accidental discharges was from an ‘Armorer Girl’ playing around with a gun. The “Armorer Girl” had the gun pointed down when she accidentally went off,” the report reads.

“The second time, one of the stunt performers went to cock the gun and it accidentally went off in a cabin. Reese expressed concern about accidental discharges on this particular set, which shouldn’t have happened.”

In a separate interview on the same incident, one of the film’s Dolly handles, Ross Addigo, told police that Gutierrez-Reed allegedly had one of six guns ready when she fired at her foot.

Just a few minutes later, he said a gun had been fired at a cabin but it had not been announced, the report details.

Addigo also claimed that six cameramen left the set on the same day and that the head of the camera department wrote a letter to the production company about the series of alleged mishaps.

Meanwhile, John Ziello, the set’s main rigging handle, claimed that “protocols were not followed throughout the film” when asked if there had been any prior troubles during filming, according to the report.

Ziello also claimed that the production “cut every corner it could”.

The 540-page police report confirms previous speculation about accidental firing of firearms on set before Hutchin’s death.

The release of the new report comes just weeks after the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department presented its investigative findings to prosecutors — including evidence collected, investigative interviews, and the FBI’s forensic analysis of physical evidence.

While the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office determined that the shooting was an accident, prosecutors are reviewing the findings to weigh charges against those involved, including Baldwin.

The sheriff’s office had already released a wealth of filings related to the fatal shooting, including bodycam footage of the mortally wounded Hutchins, witness interviews, email and text threads, ammo stashes and hundreds of photos.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza had previously described “a certain level of neglect” on the set, but said prosecutors would decide on possible criminal charges.

Baldwin was rehearsing a cross-draw on the Western film set when the gun was fired, fatally killing 42-year-old Hutchins and injuring 49-year-old director Joel Souza.

The Hollywood star last week filed a lawsuit against those on set involved in handling and delivering the loaded gun.

Baldwin’s lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of Guttierez-Reed; Prop Master Sarah Zachry; first assistant director and security coordinator David Halls, who handed the gun over to Baldwin; Ammunition supplier Seth Kenney and his company PDQ Arm & Prop, which also supplied support arms for production.

They have all previously denied responsibility for the fatal shooting.

Guttierez-Reed, the gunsmith, has filed its own lawsuit against the prop supplier, alleging it made “misrepresentations” and caused “the introduction of live rounds on the film set in New Mexico.”