‘Rust’ film gunsmith denies knowledge of live rounds on set – The Hollywood Reporter
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the gunsmith of the tragic production Rustreleased a statement through her attorneys saying she had “no idea where the live ammunition came from” that was recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff in their investigation into the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and that the entire production was “dangerous”. ”
In a statement obtained Friday by The Hollywood Reporterlawyers Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence said their client Gutierrez-Reed was “devastated and completely beside herself by the events that unfolded” on the set of Rust and that she was keen to respond to media reports that “misrepresented” her.
Importantly, Gutierrez-Reed says she has “no idea where the live ammunition comes from” and that “she has never seen anyone fire live ammunition from these guns nor would she allow it.” . She also claims that the guns were locked up “every night and at lunch and there was no way a single one was going missing or shot by crew members.”
Lawyers said Gutierrez-Reed was hired for two positions on the Rust production, which made it difficult to concentrate on her work as a gunsmith, and that she “fought for training, days to maintain the guns and the time to prepare for the shots, but has ultimately canceled by production and its department.
Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Juan Rios said THR Thursday that the three people who handled the alleged weapon before the murder Rust the shootings are now the “main objective” of the ongoing investigation. Gutierrez-Reed, assistant director Dave Halls and star producer Alec Baldwin all handled a Colt .45 revolver before Hutchins was fatally shot Oct. 21 on set near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Mendoza said among the evidence collected from the set of the Western in Santa Fe included three firearms – a non-functional plastic gun – and 500 rounds, including blanks. , dummy ammunition and suspected live ammunition. .
In a third search warrant request filed Wednesday, authorities wrote that Gutierrez-Reed told an investigator that no “live ammunition” was ever kept on the set. However, while talking to Today’In Savannah Guthrie on Thursday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said that was “not an accurate statement” because “it was a live bullet that hit and killed Ms. Hutchins.”
According to the warrant application, Halls told the detective that normally when handling firearms on set, “I check to see if the barrel is clogged, most of the time there’s no live fire. , she [Hannah] open the hatch and spin the drum, and I say gun cold on the set. However, before the rehearsal when Hutchins and Souza were shot, Halls said he remembered only seeing three towers. “He said he should have checked them all, but didn’t and couldn’t remember if she had the drumbeat going,” the warrant application reads.
In a previous search warrant request filed last week, a sheriff’s department detective wrote that it was Halls who handed the gun to Baldwin, announcing “cold weapon” – meaning unloaded . Baldwin discharged the gun during rehearsal, also injuring director Joel Souza, authorities said.
Halls has yet to issue a public statement. Gutierrez-Reed’s first statement comes a week after Baldwin posted his on Twitter. “There are no words to express my shock and sadness at the tragic accident that claimed the life of Halyna Hutchins, a deeply admired wife, mother and colleague of ours,” baldwin wrote.
The Santa Fe County District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office said the investigation could take several months. Mendoza said at Wednesday’s press conference that it was still too early to comment on the charges, but that arrests would be made if warranted.
Ryan Parker contributed to this report.
