A newly released video from the set of ‘Rust’ shows Alec Baldwin practicing with his gun moments before the on-set shooting fatality. The gunshot killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said it just released “all files associated with our ongoing investigation.” That includes dozens of photos and videos from the set. Those videos and photos were all taken on October 21, the day of the shooting.
“Today the sheriff’s office is releasing all files associated with our ongoing investigation,” said Sheriff Adan Mendoza in a statement. “The files are all related to the Rust movie set investigation and include lapel/dash camera footage from deputies and detectives, incident reports, crime scene photos, examination reports, witness interviews, set video, and staff photos collected throughout the course of this investigation.”
In the first moments of his interview, Baldwin asks a deputy if he is being charged with anything, to which the deputy responds he is not, the video shows. The deputy explains it is just an interview before reading Baldwin his Miranda rights prior to questioning.
Footage of the interview, conducted in a small interview room, shows Baldwin describing the process of handling weapons and the usual steps that were taken on set.
“Do you think someone would do this deliberately?” the interviewer asks.
“I can’t imagine who would,” Baldwin quickly responded.
The video is one of several files released Monday by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, including photos, recordings, and reports related to its investigation, which is ongoing, officials said.
During his interview, Baldwin told officers he did not know the last name of the film’s armorer — Hannah Gutierrez Reed — and that she handed the gun directly to him.
The family attorney for Matthew Hutchins, the widower of Halyna Hutchins, said in a statement they would not comment on the evidence released.
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“We were surprised by the decision of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office to release such a large amount of evidence today given that the investigation is still ongoing and active,” said attorney Brian Panish. “For this reason, we are not going to comment on the material released except to say we hope the press will exercise discretion in how they use the graphic images and videos of the fatal events of Oct 21, 2021.”
Last week, the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau fined the production $135,000, the maximum fine possible. Alec Baldwin’s attorney commented on the report. “We appreciate that the report exonerates Mr. Baldwin by making clear that he believed the gun held only dummy rounds,” the statement reads. “Additionally, the report recognizes that Mr. Baldwin’s authority on the production was limited to approving script changes and creative casting.”
Original article appeared on CNN
