Details of the investigation into the killing of a photographer by a shot from Alec Baldwin during the filming of a movie

The investigation into the death of a film director in the United States, shot by Alec Baldwin during the filming of Western, continues, with a focus on the weapons supervisor and assistant director.

Helena Hutchins was shot in the chest by Alec Baldwin from a weapon used as an accessory in the movie "Rust," according to a preliminary investigation report seen by AFP.

She was airlifted to a hospital in New Mexico, where she was pronounced dead.

Director Joel Sousa, who injured his shoulder in the incident, is in the process of recovering.

In a statement posted to Deadline, he revealed that he was "saddened by the loss of a friend and colleague."

Investigators are focusing on the role of Hana Gutierrez Reid, 24, who is supervising weapons on the set, because, according to the report, she was the one who brought the gun that fired the fatal shot.

She had put him in a cart with two other weapons.

Then assistant director Dave Hales, known for his long experience in this field, gave Baldwin the weapon during rehearsal for one of the film's scenes, telling him that it was "cold", meaning that it was not loaded with actual bullets, according to the terminology used in the field of cinematography.

Hals was unaware that the gun was actually loaded with bullets, according to a report to the Santa Fe, New Mexico, police station.

After the shot, the gun was returned to Gutierrez Reid, who took the used bullet and handed it to the police when they arrived, according to the report.

No prosecutions have yet been launched in this regard, according to a spokesman for the police office.

Alec Baldwin remains at large after being questioned, with investigations focused on the hypothesis of the accident.

A judge issued a search warrant authorizing the security forces to seize equipment related to the filming, as well as weapons and ammunition used as accessories and the clothes worn by the actor and the rest of the crew during the accident.

The tragedy occurred at the "Bonanza Creek Ranch" site, which is widely used for filming Western films, and the police cordoned off it and prevented entry to it.

"Rust" is a Western movie written and directed by Joel Sousa and starring Alec Baldwin, who also co-produces the work and plays an outlaw named Harland Rust who comes to the rescue of his 13-year-old grandson who was convicted He was sentenced to death by hanging for murder.

The 63-year-old actor wrote on Twitter on Friday: "I can't find words to express my astonishment and sadness after the tragic incident that took the life of Helena Hutchins, 42," confirming "full cooperation with the police investigation into how this tragedy occurred." .

He later re-circulated an article for "Variety" on his own account, which stated that "it was known that the weapon was safe before the fatal shot", without commenting on it.

Six members of the film's technical team had left the filming site hours before the accident, denouncing work conditions and security conditions, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Gutierrez Reid, who has not yet made a public statement since the incident, revealed in a podcast published in September that she was reluctant to work on her previous movie "The Old Way" with Nicolas Cage because she wasn't sure she was ready, but indicated that the shooting took place. Alright.

In recent years, Baldwin has risen to fame in the United States thanks to his elaborate impersonation of former President Donald Trump on the popular satirical show "Saturday Night Live."

His reputation had plummeted at the turn of the millennium following a bitter divorce, but his image rebounded towards the end of the decade thanks to the success of the comedy "30 Rock", in which he won two Emmys, and Ukraine-born and Los Angeles-based Halina Hutchins was considered a rising star. in cinematography.

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