The headlines just keep getting weirder and weirder.
The Disturbing Link Between Alec Baldwin Shooting & ‘The Crow’ Shooting: Person Who ‘Gave Star Loaded Gun’ Worked Both Films
The fallout of the Alec Baldwin shooting tragedy has led to further questions about how a ‘prop gun’ could have fired a live round that killed a cinematographer. Furthermore, another question that has gone under the radar is how the Baldwin shooting also led to the wounding of director Joel Souza.
The reckless incident, which occurred under the stewardship of the co-producer Baldwin, has caused some to wonder about lessons lost after earlier similar tragedies, such as the fatal shooting of Brandon Lee during the filming of the sequel to “The Crow” in 1993.
“Actor Jon-Erik Hexum was killed Oct. 18, 1984, on the set of the TV series Cover Up when he accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun loaded with blanks,” Deadline recently noted. “And in 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, died after he was shot. … Both incidents were determined to have been accidents.”
Now, an odd coincidence between the film Baldwin was working on, “Rust,” and the film where Brandon Lee was killed, “The Crow: Salvation,” has been uncovered. The bizarre connection was recently reported in The Sun.
“The assistant director who reportedly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded gun that led to the fatal shooting on the Rust film set worked on the sequel to The Crow, where Brandon Lee was killed,” the Sun reported.
“Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed a gun from a cart an armorer had placed it on and handed it to the actor, believing that it was unloaded, according to a search warrant filed as part of the ongoing investigation,” the report noted.
David Halls on the set of “Rust.”
According to the warrant, Halls told Baldwin the weapon was “cold,” even though it was loaded with live ammunition. Halls is a veteran of the film industry and has worked as an assistant director on major productions like Fargo, The Matrix Reloaded, and Reno 911.
“The gun Halls picked up was reportedly one of three laid on a cart by the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed,” The Sun reported. “It’s not clear at this time how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez-Reed, 24, is the daughter of longtime film industry armorer, Thell Reed.”
The publication points out that Halls also worked on “The Crow: Salvation.” Brandon Lee died at age 28 after he was shot with a .44-caliber slug during the death scene for the movie. The “prop gun” that was supposed to fire a blank had discharged a live round, which killed the actor.
Alec Baldwin was on set in New Mexico filming the movie “Rust,” when he accidentally fired the ‘prop gun’ and killed the director of cinematography, while wounding the director. Halyna Hutchins, 42, died at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, and the director Joel Souza, 48, was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported on the incident, citing the local sheriff’s office.
While the shooting is believed to be an accident, there is an ongoing shooting investigation into how such a deadly incident could occur. According to the publication Variety, which reported the tragic incident on Thursday night, the shooting was chalked up by the production company as a “misfire” of a “prop gun with blanks.”
Baldwin, who was visibly devastated upon learning that the shooting had led to the untimely death of Hutchins, willingly provided a statement to the sheriff’s office.
While the production company involved claimed that there was a “misfire of a prop gun with blanks,” the Sheriff’s office indicated that it was “too soon to say what type of round was involved,” Variety reported. The Sheriff’s Office also did not use the word “accident,” the publication noted, leaving that to be determined by investigators.
“We’re treating this as we would any other investigation,” sheriff’s office spokesman Juan Ríos said about the matter.
“The prop was fired at Bonanza Creek Ranch, where filming was underway, the sheriff’s office said in an early evening news release,” the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. “The set was locked down while deputies began their investigation.”
“Attempts to get comment from Baldwin outside the sheriff’s office were unsuccessful,” the publication added.
In a statement to The New York Times, Rust Movie Productions said: “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”
Baldwin, who should again be noted is a co-producer on the film, has mocked Donald Trump and law-abiding gun owners about firearms safety in the past.
“I wonder how it must feel to wrongfully kill someone…” he tweeted. More posts were unearthed by the Post Millenial.
There were even more.
Brandon Lee’s family reacted to the fatal shooting involving Alec Baldwin on social media.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on ‘Rust,’” the family tweeted from a Brandon Lee memorial account. “No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.”
There is no doubt that Alec Baldwin is distraught about the shooting of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza. But his emotional reaction does not absolve him of responsibility, nor of questions about the circumstances of the shooting. This is an incident that should not be swept under the rug, just because the shooter is an influential Hollywood actor.1 Vote
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