(NewsNation Now) — Crew members said they heard a bang that sounded like a whip. Then they saw Halyna Hutchins stumbling back and holding her stomach. A medic began trying to save her as the 911 call came in.
It would be the start of the ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin film “Rust,” which left Hutchins dead and director Joul Souza wounded.
Bonanza Creek Ranch suddenly stopped being a production hub and became the scene of a police investigation.
Baldwin claims he never “pulled the trigger,” but authorities have said it was the actor who was holding the firearm at the time it was discharged.
Just before the gun went off, assistant director Dave Halls handed the actor the weapon, allegedly not knowing it was loaded, and yelling “cold gun.”
Now, a warrant reveals Halls does not fully remember checking for live ammunition.
Baldwin has since called for police to be on the set of all films when any kind of gun, prop or otherwise, is being used.
The idea was met with swift backlash, with many saying it’s the job of the armorer on set to make sure prop weapons are safe.
Police subsequently found 500 rounds of ammunition on the set; a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and what appear to be live rounds.
The set’s firearm specialist, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, said there should never have been actual ammo present. Her attorneys have suggested someone may have put a live round in the set’s dummy round stash as international sabotage.
The district attorney investigating the case said no evidence has been found to support that claim.
The first lawsuit was filed just days after the shooting.
Serge Svetnoy, the head of lighting, alleged negligence caused him severe emotional distress that will haunt him forever. He said the bullet that killed Hutchins almost hit him and that he held her as she died.
A second lawsuit from Mamie Mitchell, the crewmember who called 911, accused Baldwin of going off-script and claimed he was supposed to be armed, but wasn’t supposed to open fire.
In an interview with ABC News, Baldwin said he didn’t pull the trigger.
Days after that interview aired, a judge ordered the assistant director who handed Baldwin the prop gun to make himself available for an interview with workplace safety regulators.
A search warrant has been issued for Baldwin’s phone.
According to the affidavit, investigators are looking for any text messages, images, videos, calls or other information related to the film’s production.
Authorities still do not know how a live round ended up in the prop firearm and no criminal charges have been filed.
