Alec Baldwin is seen firing gun on set of Rust, using weapon as 'POINTING ... trends now
Alec Baldwin was filmed using a gun as a pointing stick and opening fire after a director yelled cut on the set of Rust - the movie whose cinematographer he accidentally shot and killed.
Shocking footage broadcast in court Thursday showed the actor discharging a large prop weapon during the 2021 shoot, which was halted by the killing of Halyna Hutchins that year.
He was seen chatting to a crew member and gesticulating with the prop gun in one hand. In another scene shown to the court, Baldwin was seen firing the gun a few seconds after a director had loudly yelled 'cut.'
Someone could be heard exclaiming 'motherf****r' as he did so, although it's unclear why.
Jurors were shown a video shot during production of Rust in which Alec Baldwin pointed the gun at the crew and cast members including a 12-year-old boy between scenes
Meanwhile, the set was so unsafe that actors pointed guns at a 12-year-old boy who was part of the cast, a court heard today.
Jurors were shown a video shot during production of the movie in which an adult male actor pointed the gun at Patrick Scott McDermott between scenes.
That was a breach of safety rules made all the more disturbing because six live rounds were found on the set, the court heard.
The court also heard emotional testimony from a senior crew member who said that Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer, said ‘I can’t feel my legs’ after Baldwin accidentally shot her.
Jurors were told that Baldwin himself made the set unsafe by waving his gun like a ‘pointing stick’ at people and firing rounds after the director said cut
Baldwin, 65, who was the lead actor and a producer in the movie, will face a separate trial in July for involuntary manslaughter, which he denies
Hutchins, 42, a mother-of-one, was shot dead by Baldwin on the set of Rust in October 2021. Baldwin is due to go on trial in July
Baldwin is due to go on trial in July for involuntary manslaughter for the incident on the set of Rust in October 2021 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
He denies allegations of wrongdoing and has even denied shooting Hutchins, although the gun was in his hand when the fatal shooting took place.
The claims about safety emerged during the trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, the armorer on the film.
She has denied the same charge as Baldwin, involuntary manslaughter. and like him faces 18 months in jail if found guilty.
Bryan Carpenter, a former police SWAT officer who now works as an armorer and firearms instructor for films and TV, told the court about a litany of safety failings during the filming of Rust, an indie Western.
The jury were shown footage shot behind the scenes which showed actors waving guns in the air and even at other cast members.
Carpenter said that they should have been pointed down at all times when they were not being used for a scene.
In one disturbing moment, an actor armed with a rifle pointed it straight at McDermott, who was 12 years old at the time and played the role of Lucas Hollister.
In another shot, the same actor pointed the gun at a man’s back.
Police later identified six live rounds on the set of Rust, including two in the gun belts of some actors.
Carpenter said: ‘You have to assume there may have been live rounds in any of these firearms.
‘Imagine the concern you have knowing at any point in time these guns could have a live round in it. That makes it more concerning when that shotgun is pointed at that man’s back’.
Baldwin is also seen firing multiple shots after the director yelled 'cut'
The video of Baldwin on the floor shows him demanding a second shot immediately after one that just finished. He is heard saying: ‘Right away! Right away! Let’s reload. Here we go, come on! We should have two guns, both reloading’
Dave Halls, the first assistant director on Rust, broke down in tears while telling the jury how he was the last person apart from Gutierrez-Reed to check the gun before giving it to Baldwin
Another video showed Gutierrez-Reed holding a shotgun with its muzzle face up, pointing straight at her own face.
Asked how you could maintain proper gun safety on set when the armorer was handling guns in this way, Carpenter said: ‘It’s a very good question. It would be hard to implement’.
The videos of Baldwin showed him emerging from a cabin and firing his pistol and then lying down on the floor, getting up and opening fire again.
Carpenter said they were unsafe because a camera by the cabin was ‘well within the no-go zone’ and should have been 21ft away.
He criticized Baldwin and said he should not have pointed his gun right at the camera and should have cheated to the side by at least 4ft.
The video of Baldwin on the floor shows him demanding a second shot immediately after one that just finished.
He is heard saying: ‘Right away! Right away! Let’s reload. Here we go, come on! We should have two guns, both
