Alec Baldwin fired a gun on the set of ‘Rust,’ killing its cinematographer. Here’s a timeline of the shocking incident.

• On October 21, 2021, Alec Baldwin fired a gun while rehearsing a scene for the movie “Rust” that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
• The movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, Baldwin was acquitted of the same charge.
• “Rust” will have its world premiere at a film festival in Poland in November.

On October 21, 2021, while rehearsing a scene for the independent movie “Rust,” Alec Baldwin was handed a gun, which he fired, fatally wounding director of photography Halyna Hutchins and injuring the director Joel Souza.

By the following day, it was confirmed that the gun Baldwin was handed had a live round in it, according to the prop masters union.

Hutchins, 42, was a rising star in her profession who had shot movies like “Archenemy” and “Blindfire.”

“Rust” is a Western starring Baldwin as an outlaw who rescues his 13-year-old grandson who is sentenced to hang for manslaughter.

Nearly three years after the tragic event, the movie will have its world premiere in November at EnergaCamerimage, a film festival in Poland.

Here’s a timeline of the fatal “Rust” incident.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the ‘Rust’ set on October 21 following 911 calls

At 1:50 pm calls came in to 911 of an accident from the “Rust” set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hutchins died after being transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital in critical condition. Souza was treated at the Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and released later that day.

“According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a firearm when it was discharged,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement provided to Insider. “Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.”

The sheriff’s office also said the gun was fired by Baldwin.

Baldwin tweeted his ‘shock and sadness’ over the incident and that he’s ‘fully cooperating’ with the police

On the day after the accident Baldwin, sent out his first public comments via his Twitter account.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin tweeted.

“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred,” he added.

In a second tweet, Baldwin continued: “I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

Affidavit said Baldwin was told the gun wasn’t loaded

Stories from The New York Times and the Associated Press that ran a day after the shooting report that Baldwin says in an affidavit that he was told by the movie’s assistant director Dave Halls, who handed him the gun, that it was a “cold gun.” Which is a term used in a movie that the gun is not loaded.

The Times also reported that a search warrant was issued of the “Rust” set and that a judge has ordered that all equipment be searched for evidence.

Director Joel Souza released a statement on October 23 saying he’s ‘gutted by the loss’ of Hutchins

In the wake of the tragic event, Souza gave a statement to Deadline:

“I am gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna,” he said. “She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch, and always pushed me to be better.”

“My thoughts are with her family at this most difficult time,” he continued. “I am humbled and grateful by the outpouring of affection we have received from our filmmaking community, the people of Santa Fe, and the hundreds of strangers who have reached out…. It will surely aid in my recovery.”

Police have a search warrant to recover bone fragments and Baldwin’s clothes from ‘Rust’ set

Specifics of what Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office are obtaining with the search warrant following the shooting have been released.

According to an affidavit obtained by Insider, they were to seize things including cameras, video cameras, memory cards, bone fragments, and firearm discharge, as well as the costume Baldwin was wearing on set when the shooting happened.

‘Rust’ has paused production

The cast and crew of “Rust” were told on the evening of October 24 that production on the movie is being paused amid the police investigation into the fatal accident.

“As we go through this crisis, we have made the decision to wrap the set at least until the investigations are complete,” producers said in an email to crew members seen by the Los Angeles Times.

Armorer Gutierrez-Reed made first public comments via her lawyer on October 28: ‘Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from’

Gutierrez-Reed said through her lawyer that she was forced to cut corners on gun safety while working on “Rust.”

The 24-year-old head armorer of the movie, marking the second time in her career in that role, said she was overworked and was denied the training she needed.

“Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer,” lawyers Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence said.

It wasn’t made clear what the other role was.

It continued by saying that Gutierrez-Reed “fought for training days to maintain weapons and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department.”

The statement did not name those it said were responsible for overruling her.

“Safety is Hannah’s number one priority on set,” the statement continued. “Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from.”

On October 26, The Wrap published a report citing sources from the set of “The Old Way,” the movie that marked the first time Gutierrez-Reed was a hear armorer, who said she exhibited poor gun safety on set.

Stu Brumbaugh, who worked as a key grip on the movie told the trade that Gutierrez-Reed’s behavior caused the film’s star Nicolas Cage to scream at her and storm off set after she fired a gun near the cast and crew for the second time in three days without warning.

Previous reports from the “Rust” set say two accidental gun discharges happened the weekend before the fatal shooting of Hutchins. In the Gutierrez-Reed statement, it claims “Hannah still, to this day, has never had an accidental discharge.”

“The first one on this set was the prop master and the second was a stunt man after Hannah informed him his gun was hot with blanks,” referring to the accidental discharges on set.

The statement also states Gutierrez-Reed never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds. “[The guns] were locked up every night and at lunch,” it read.

In his first in-depth interview following the shooting, Baldwin said he ‘didn’t pull the trigger’

In an interview with ABC that aired on December 2, Baldwin claims he never actually pulled the trigger in the shooting of Hutchins.

“The trigger wasn’t pulled,” he told George Stephanopoulos. “I didn’t pull the trigger.”

“I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them,” he continued. “Even now, I find it hard to believe that. It doesn’t seem real to me.”

Stephanopoulos asked Baldwin, who is also a producer on the movie, how this happened and how a real bullet could have gotten on the New Mexico set. 

“I have no idea,” Baldwin said. “Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that was not even supposed to be on the property.” 

Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case was thrown out after his lawyers accused prosecutors of hiding evidence

In July 2024, Sommer dismissed Baldwin’s case after the actor’s lawyers accused prosecutors of hiding evidence.

The judge dismissed the case, which was only three days old, with prejudice — which means Baldwin cannot be indicted again on the same charge — and ruled that the state withheld key evidence.

Baldwin’s lawyers alleged that prosecutors and police withheld evidence on the source of the live round that killed Hutchins.

“The state’s withholding of the evidence was wilful and deliberate,” Sommer said in court, according to Reuters. “Dismissal with prejudice is warranted to ensure the integrity of the judicial system and the efficient administration of justice.”

In late September, Gutierrez-Reed was denied a new trial as her lawyers could not convince Sommer that the evidence dispute that got Baldwin off prevented Gutierrez-Reed from having a fair trial.

‘Rust’ will have its world premiere in November at a film festival in Poland

In October, EnergaCamerimage, a Polish film festival focused on cinematography, announced it would host the world premiere of “Rust” during its festival, which runs from November 16 to 23.

There will also be a panel discussion to follow that will include Souza. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Baldwin will not attend.

According to the EnergaCamerimage website, Hutchins convinced Souza in the early days of the “Rust” production that the movie should be shown at the festival.