The charges Alec Baldwin could face 1:53
(CNN) -
An experienced prop master for film and television productions told CNN that it is an “absolute taboo” to have live ammunition on a film set.
Dutch Merrick, who has worked on film and television sets for more than 20 years, told CNN's Kate Bouldin on Monday that there is no reason to have live ammunition on a set like "Rust."
He said security protocols on one set include a chain of custody with firearms.
Merrick said the propmaster or gunsmith secures the firearms and keeps them in a locked safe.
They then take them with them to the set, clean the firearm, and add the blanks when it is time before handing the weapon over to the actor.
The director of 'Rust' told authorities that Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun when the shooting occurred.
Alec Baldwin pictured with Halyna Hutchins family 1:14
"There is no one else who should be in that chain of custody," Merrick said.
"It goes from the gunsmith directly to the actor only when they are about to shoot."
He also said that the highest safety referee on the film set is the first assistant director.
He said that while that person can inspect the firearm, they cannot take it.
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Regarding the incident last week in which actor Alec Baldwin killed Halyne Hutchins on the set of "Rust," Merrick said he has met with colleagues, including other gunsmiths, to speculate about what has happened.
But he said "it puzzles us why there would be guns and bullets near a set."
What are prop bullets like and what are the risks?
0:56
Alec Baldwin's shot on the set of "Rust"
The shooting that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set last week occurred when actor Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun, according to the director who was injured in the shooting, an affidavit shows. of a search warrant.
Joel Souza, director of the film "Rust," was shot in the shoulder and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed when the prop gun went off during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe this Thursday. .
Souza told them that Baldwin was "sitting on a bench in the vicinity of a church building, and was practicing cross-holstering," the affidavit read.
Cross drawing is when a shooter removes the weapon from a holster on the opposite side of the body from the hand he uses.
What are prop bullets like and what are the risks?
0:56
Souza was looking over Hutchins' shoulder "when he heard what sounded like a whip and then a loud bang," according to the affidavit.
Souza recalled Hutchins "complaining about his stomach and clutching his waist" after the shooting occurred, the document says.
Both Souza and Russell acknowledged difficulties on set that day due to a strike by some members of the camera department over payment and accommodation.
Due to work problems, Souza said they only had one camera available to use that day and that he was not recording at the time of the incident.
Souza also confirmed to an investigator that he heard the term "cold weapon" on set, meaning the firearm should have been empty.
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