Halyna Hutchins Shot With Prop Gun - Alec Baldwin indicted & Hannah Gutierrez-Reed charged, 2021 #7

[Marantz4250b]

At one point there was a shortage of dummy rounds on set, then a mystery box of dummy rounds, presumably with the live ones in them arrived. I think she was planning to convert live into dummies. or possibly had already, before that mystery box arrived. It would explain why she removed the extractor from the prop trailer after the shooting. She probably originally thought one of her homemade dummies killed the director. And she wasn't charged just because they thought she brought live rounds. she was charged because she admitted that she didn't check the rounds she loaded into the gun. In one of the interview videos she says she shook the entire box but didn't check individual rounds before using them. And that was the mystery box that nobody will admit to providing to the movie.

Possibly but I'm not at all convinced of that. You'd need reloading press and dies to do it properly - or at all - and I'm not aware that one was ever found on the set.

https://www.brownells.co.uk/Lee-BREECH-LOCK-CHALLENGER-PRESS-LEE-PRECISION-100053054

It's not something which is likely to be missed. If they did find one it would have definitely have been used as evidence for the very reasons you mention.

To reiterate, I think it's unlikely that she brought them (knowingly) onto the set because they were either handloads or they were commercial loads produced by a small volume maker. Neither of which she is likely to have acquired, I don't think.

The presence of the kinetic hammer isn't unusual, imo. The mere fact that it was there doesn't mean there was any intention to use it - it may just have been left over from another project. Even if there was an intention to use it then the reason may simply have been to use it to remove the bullets from dummy rounds to make them look like fired cases if the script called for that. A shot of someone unloading a gun would require empty cases being removed from it.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Sorry I'm late to this case, but did anyone notice the change in her appearance at the court case from, in my opinion: Scruffy clothed young person with coloured hair to Smart Conservative clothing with brown hair styled in a respectable manner? Would that have been advice from her legal team? Just my own opinion

 

[Marantz4250b]

Sorry I'm late to this case, but did anyone notice the change in her appearance at the court case from, in my opinion: Scruffy clothed young person with coloured hair to Smart Conservative clothing with brown hair styled in a respectable manner? Would that have been advice from her legal team? Just my own opinion

I'm sure it was. It's something often seen in trials.

 

[Mony Mony]

DBM.

 

[Mony Mony]

RSBM.
The presence of the kinetic hammer isn't unusual, imo. The mere fact that it was there doesn't mean there was any intention to use it - it may just have been left over from another project. Even if there was an intention to use it then the reason may simply have been to use it to remove the bullets from dummy rounds to make them look like fired cases if the script called for that. A shot of someone unloading a gun would require empty cases being removed from it.

She requested reimbursement for the inertia puller, so I don’t think it came from another set.

Interesting thought on her altering dummy rounds to resemble spent casings. I will have to revisit testimony to see if spent ammunition was part of the props inventory. I would think that would have been something previously acquired from Seth and not something she would have to bootleg.

 

[Forest_Wood]

Sorry I'm late to this case, but did anyone notice the change in her appearance at the court case from, in my opinion: Scruffy clothed young person with coloured hair to Smart Conservative clothing with brown hair styled in a respectable manner? Would that have been advice from her legal team? Just my own opinion

Yes, she looked very nice at court. I got the impression she hired herself a fashion expert to help dress her. Her style of clothing seemed to have completely changed for court. MOO.

 

[Cool Cats]

From what I remember, some of the crew were doing target practice in the vicinity during their time off.

I didn't follow the trial closely so I don't know if it was brought up. I do remember mention of the target practice activity though, early on.

Gun in Alec Baldwin Accident Was Also Used Off-Set, Recreationally

The gun was supposedly being used for target practice, with real bullets.

www.tmz.com

Alec Baldwin's Gun in Rust Shooting Was Used for Target Practice by Crew Members: Report

The prop gun discharged by Alec Baldwin was reportedly used recreationally prior to the death of Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set

people.com

Gun in Fatal Rust Shooting Used in Target Practice that Morning

Crew members on "Rust" had used the gun for live-ammunition target practice, or "plinking," and returned the gun to the set, an insider says

www.thewrap.com

‘Rust’ crew reportedly loaded Baldwin’s gun with live bullets for target practice

Production sources had previously revealed that the gun had been used for off-the-clock target practice — which could explain how a live round ended up in its chamber.

nypost.com

Gun that killed Halyna Hutchins used by crew off-set for fun: report

The gun, which was fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of “Rust,” may have even been loaded with live rounds when it was used for what was essentially target practice.

nypost.com

Just hours before the fatal accident, a group of crew members had taken the firearm to go “plinking,” a hobby in which people shoot at beer cans with live ammunition, amid production of the Alec Baldwin flick “Rust” in Santa Fe, an insider told the Wrap.

The prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico movie set had been used by crew members offsite for fun, a new report claims.

The gun, which was fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie “Rust,” may have even been loaded with live rounds when it was used for what was essentially target practice, TMZ reported.

Multiple sources connected to the production of the film told TMZ that the gun was fired at off-the-clock gatherings – which could explain how a live round found its way into the gun’s chamber.

 

[twall]

Hannah Gutierrez challenges conviction in fatal 'Rust' shooting

Hannah Gutierrez is challenging her conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the shooting of Halyna Hutchins by Alec Baldwin.

www.courttv.com

 

[Marantz4250b]

Gun in Alec Baldwin Accident Was Also Used Off-Set, Recreationally

The gun was supposedly being used for target practice, with real bullets.

www.tmz.com

Alec Baldwin's Gun in Rust Shooting Was Used for Target Practice by Crew Members: Report

The prop gun discharged by Alec Baldwin was reportedly used recreationally prior to the death of Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set

people.com

Gun in Fatal Rust Shooting Used in Target Practice that Morning

Crew members on "Rust" had used the gun for live-ammunition target practice, or "plinking," and returned the gun to the set, an insider says

www.thewrap.com

‘Rust’ crew reportedly loaded Baldwin’s gun with live bullets for target practice

Production sources had previously revealed that the gun had been used for off-the-clock target practice — which could explain how a live round ended up in its chamber.

nypost.com

Gun that killed Halyna Hutchins used by crew off-set for fun: report

The gun, which was fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of “Rust,” may have even been loaded with live rounds when it was used for what was essentially target practice.

nypost.com

Just hours before the fatal accident, a group of crew members had taken the firearm to go “plinking,” a hobby in which people shoot at beer cans with live ammunition, amid production of the Alec Baldwin flick “Rust” in Santa Fe, an insider told the Wrap.

The prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico movie set had been used by crew members offsite for fun, a new report claims.

The gun, which was fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie “Rust,” may have even been loaded with live rounds when it was used for what was essentially target practice, TMZ reported.

Multiple sources connected to the production of the film told TMZ that the gun was fired at off-the-clock gatherings – which could explain how a live round found its way into the gun’s chamber.

All of those articles are from very soon after the shooting and the police nor prosecutors seemed to put any faith in those allegations.

I haven't read the articles in full but I don't think any of them mention the name ofna single person who either took part or who claims to have seen it happen. When news reports do that it means that it almost certainly isn't true.

 

[Slick762]

Possibly but I'm not at all convinced of that. You'd need reloading press and dies to do it properly - or at all - and I'm not aware that one was ever found on the set.

https://www.brownells.co.uk/Lee-BREECH-LOCK-CHALLENGER-PRESS-LEE-PRECISION-100053054

It's not something which is likely to be missed. If they did find one it would have definitely have been used as evidence for the very reasons you mention.

To reiterate, I think it's unlikely that she brought them (knowingly) onto the set because they were either handloads or they were commercial loads produced by a small volume maker. Neither of which she is likely to have acquired, I don't think.

The presence of the kinetic hammer isn't unusual, imo. The mere fact that it was there doesn't mean there was any intention to use it - it may just have been left over from another project. Even if there was an intention to use it then the reason may simply have been to use it to remove the bullets from dummy rounds to make them look like fired cases if the script called for that. A shot of someone unloading a gun would require empty cases being removed from it.

You only need a press and die to do a reload. You can press a bullet into a empty brass with straight jawed channellocks (can't remember what exactly they're called but the jaws close parallel) if you're careful and have a steady hand. I've done it before to make my own dummies for failure drills. I wouldn't do it on or for a movie set though.
And the extractor wasn't leftover. It was purchased by the movie, at HGRs request. And it was removed from the prop trailer by HRG after the shooting before the cops could get a warrant.

 

[Slick762]

She requested reimbursement for the inertia puller, so I don’t think it came from another set.

Interesting thought on her altering dummy rounds to resemble spent casings. I will have to revisit testimony to see if spent ammunition was part of the props inventory. I would think that would have been something previously acquired from Seth and not something she would have to bootleg.

I don't see any need to make spent casing like that. Buy a handful of empty brass. They had a shortage of dummie rounds on set, why take some apart to make empty brass?

 

[Luna20]

You only need a press and die to do a reload. You can press a bullet into a empty brass with straight jawed channellocks (can't remember what exactly they're called but the jaws close parallel) if you're careful and have a steady hand. I've done it before to make my own dummies for failure drills. I wouldn't do it on or for a movie set though.
And the extractor wasn't leftover. It was purchased by the movie, at HGRs request. And it was removed from the prop trailer by HRG after the shooting before the cops could get a warrant.

“Removing them before the cops could get a warrant”

How did they find that out? I didn’t watch the whole trial. But that’s incriminating, why was she hiding anything from the cops?

 

[Forest_Wood]

I'm curious how it works with the assignment of special prosecutors. Wouldn't it make more sense to assign someone already practicing as a prosecutor instead of a defense lawyer?

 

[Forest_Wood]

One thing that stood out during the trial was how some of the witnesses for the prosecution, (Seth Kenny, Sarah Zachary) tiptoed around saying they had wanted HGR fired, even though that's just what they had indicated throughout her time there. I got the sense they didn't want to challenge the status quo by the time it went to trial. Why not just admit to that at the trial? MOO.

 

[Betty P]

I'm curious how it works with the assignment of special prosecutors. Wouldn't it make more sense to assign someone already practicing as a prosecutor instead of a defense lawyer?

IIRC the DA or prosecutor was running for re-election during the first attempt at a trial. She was already campaigning on having arrested AB. She screwed up on charges she filed against AB, so his attorneys got the case dismissed. It was a bit of a circus.

 

[Slick762]

“Removing them before the cops could get a warrant”

How did they find that out? I didn’t watch the whole trial. But that’s incriminating, why was she hiding anything from the cops?

IIRC, the prop master put a new padlock on the prop trailer after the shooting and, I don't remember exactly when, between the time of the shooting and the police search, HGR had her unlock the trailer and removed a number of things, including the extractor.

 

[Marantz4250b]

You only need a press and die to do a reload. You can press a bullet into a empty brass with straight jawed channellocks (can't remember what exactly they're called but the jaws close parallel) if you're careful and have a steady hand. I've done it before to make my own dummies for failure drills. I wouldn't do it on or for a movie set though.
And the extractor wasn't leftover. It was purchased by the movie, at HGRs request. And it was removed from the prop trailer by HRG after the shooting before the cops could get a warrant.

Hmmm...possibly but this is not the easiest thing to do, especially with lead bulleted pistol ammo. Those bullets are generally crimped in. The kinetic puller doesn't remove the crimp so you need a case mouth flaring die and a bullet seater/crimper die to re-seat everything properly. If you're going to do that then just buy a small hand press or a Lee-Loader for very little money.

That, of course, doesn't mean that that was intending to do convert live ammo to dummies even though it probably would have been unsuccessful.

How do we know that she removed it? Was she seen doing it?

 

[Marantz4250b]

I don't see any need to make spent casing like that. Buy a handful of empty brass. They had a shortage of dummie rounds on set, why take some apart to make empty brass?

Only if you can find empty brass. This was during the Covid lockdowns and everything was in very short supply. You'd also need to find primers and get a primer seating tool to make it look authentic.

Pulling the bullets from the dummies - most of which already had impacted primers seems - like a much easier option.

 

[Marantz4250b]

IIRC, the prop master put a new padlock on the prop trailer after the shooting and, I don't remember exactly when, between the time of the shooting and the police search, HGR had her unlock the trailer and removed a number of things, including the extractor.

The PM was Sarah Zachary, I think? She was given immunity and has a vested interest in maintaining that immunity.

Just like as with the whole ...plinking in the down-time... rumors, this whole thing about using live ammo to make dummies is pure supposition; there are no media reports or speculation of it and, as far as I know, not a single person has ever said that they heard HGR talk about doing it, let alone actually see her do it. There simply is no evidence for it. Once again, if there were evidence that that was her intention it would surely have been brought up in evidence as that would go a long way towards explaining the origin of the live ammo because if they can demonstrate that she intended to do that then they've basically proved that she provided the live ammo or at least knew it was there.

 

[aafromaa]

One thing that stood out during the trial was how some of the witnesses for the prosecution, (Seth Kenny, Sarah Zachary) tiptoed around saying they had wanted HGR fired, even though that's just what they had indicated throughout her time there. I got the sense they didn't want to challenge the status quo by the time it went to trial. Why not just admit to that at the trial? MOO.

I wondered if they thought admitting they felt she should have been fired before the shooting might somehow mitigate her responsibility since the ones in charge chose to keep her on. I don’t think it would have but I do think that in civil trials it should help show that the production company should have financial liability because they had reason to terminate her and didn’t which left her in the position to have the live ammo floating around the set.