The New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator has determined that the deadly shooting on the set of western Rust was officially an accident.
Following the accidental shooting of 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchinson in October 2021, Alec Baldwin–who also serves as producer on the film–claimed he never pulled the trigger. However, a test by the FBI determined that, despite internal issues with the firearm, the gun could not have been fired without pulling the trigger.
According to the FBI report, “This was the only successful discharge during this testing and it was attributed to the fracture of internal components, not the failure of the firearm or safety mechanisms.” They also noted, “It may not be possible to recreate or duplicate” the scenario.
Baldwin’s lawyers have called it a “tragic accident.” No formal charges have been filed against Baldwin as of publication.
Baldwin’s initial comments following the tragedy were, “We were a very very…well-oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened.”
Director Joel Souza was also injured during the discharge, with projectile believed to be from the bullet that killed Hutchinson lodging in his shoulder. The production seems to have been marred in incidents: one month after the shooting, a crew member helping dismantle the set was bitten by a brown recluse spider but thankfully avoided having his arm amputated.
While producers do plan to continue production, no official details have been released.
Sadly, Rust is not the first time on-set gunfire has resulted in death. Other than the oft-cited accidental killing of Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow, extras and stars have succumbed to mishandled guns and ammunition on 1915’s The Captive and the short-lived television series Cover-Up, in which star Jon-Erik Hexum shot himself with what he believed to be a prop.