Santa Fe police have found what they believe is the bullet that killed cameraman Halina Hutchins last weekend, after she was accidentally shot by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie "Rust" - and that it was indeed a live bullet, as previously suspected.
Sheriff Aden Mendoza said at a news conference that the lead Kelly found, who police believe is a gun bullet, was taken off the shoulder of the film's director, Joel Souza, who was also injured in the fatal incident.
He also said that investigators had collected about 600 finds from the set of Western photographs, including what they believe was the gun in which the shooting took place, and that although there are photographs from the scene - there is no photograph of the shooting itself.
Sheriff Aden Mendoza of the Santa Fe Police Department, Photo: Reuters
Mendoza attacked the filmmakers, saying he thought there was "some complacency" about the set - and that he thinks the incident should cause the film industry, and perhaps even the state of New Mexico in which the film was shot, to "address safety procedures."
The sheriff also said that Baldwin was "cooperating" in his investigation, that there were more live bullets on the set - and that it had not yet been determined how that live bullet found its way to the gun with which the actor carried out the shooting.
District Attorney Marie Carmack-Altwis said it is currently too early to determine whether indictments should be filed against shooting suspects, indeed these will be filed if they deem it appropriate to do so.
Photographer Halina Hutchins, Photo: Reuters
According to an affidavit filed by local police in court last week, Baldwin received the gun that caused Hutchins' death from assistant director David Hols, who said it was a "cold gun," meaning a safe weapon to use.
Holes himself took the gun from a cart used by Hannah Gutierrez, who worked in the film as in charge of the weapons used as accessories in the filming.
The incident itself occurred when Baldwin, who responded to the incident by saying "my heart was broken," aimed the gun at the camera, behind which stood Hutchins, who was hit in the upper body, while returning.
Sousa was injured by shrapnel in his shoulder, was taken to hospital for medical treatment - and was released after a few hours.
Aerial photo of the film set "Rust", in which actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot to death a photographer, Photo: Roberto E. Rosales / Albuquerque Journal
