After the fatal ‘Rust’ shooting, Alec Baldwin calls for police officers to monitor weapon safety on movie sets
After the tragic shooting which took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film Rust, Alec Baldwin has been in the media spotlight.
Alec Baldwin was handed a prop gun which was believed to be filled with dummy rounds, but it wasn’t so as it got to kill the 42-year-old mother and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin appeared in tears cooperating with the police and the movie production was suspended. The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office for the past two weeks has been investigating the incident.
There have been stories of some of the staff in a protest demanding safe working conditions and this has caused tension between producers and crew members.
‘Rust’ Camera Assistant on Safety Issues, Pay Irregularities and Producer Behavior on “Brutal” Set
— Jewhadi™ (@JewhadiTM) November 7, 2021
Lane Luper walked off the New Mexico movie set with six colleagues in the camera department before Halyna Hutchins died. https://t.co/NvQM5IrtOo
Camera operator Lane Luper, was one of the crews who left the set saying “corner cutting” was making production unsafe. “This set was unsafe simply because they didn’t have the wherewithal to follow safety rules that we have in this industry that we’ve been following for decades,” he told Sky News.
Alec Baldwin has taken to social media to call for the attention and presence of police officers on film sets when weapons are being used.
The 63-year-old father of six wrote, “Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapons safety.” Hutchins, who was a Ukrainian cinematographer and journalist who worked on more than 30 films, short films, and TV miniseries, was shot while working on the Western movie set in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hutchins lost her life in flight to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.
Baldwin the next day released a statement saying“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours.
I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.” Many celebrities are calling for a change in the use of real weapons on movie sets.
In a statement, the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin, said: “The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company. “Though we 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.
“We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time.” A tragedy that could have been avoided if safety measures were put in place from the start, our heartfelt condolences goes out to the family of the bereaved. May her soul rest in peace.
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