NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Alec Baldwin shooting: Firearms expert says 'buck stops with Alec Baldwin' in tragic film set death

news.com.au
26 Oct, 2021 11:18 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Baldwin accidentally fatally shot and killed 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on Thursday on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico. Photo / Getty Images

Baldwin accidentally fatally shot and killed 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on Thursday on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico. Photo / Getty Images

Experts have weighed in on the Alec Baldwin shooting, saying the death of a cinematographer on set was avoidable and Baldwin is not blameless.

Baldwin accidentally fatally shot and killed 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on Thursday on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico.

As details emerge about exactly what happened inside a small church as Baldwin was rehearsing with the gun, firearms experts say the 63-year-old should have known better.

Special effects and firearms expert Steve Wolf has told the New York Post that Baldwin, who was producing the film, should have taken a look inside the weapon.

"If you're capable of memorising 120 pages of dialogue, you can memorise four lines of gun safety," Wolf said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If that scene required him to put the gun to his head and pull the trigger, I'm sure he would have taken a look inside the gun. Wouldn't you?"

He said that as producer, "the buck stops with him".

"Don't point guns at people. Don't point guns at anything you don't want to put a hole in."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The comments come after devastating new details emerged from witnesses on set.

Court documents, sourced by The New York Times, include previously unreleased statements from Souza and a cameraman working on the film.

Juan Rios, spokesman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office, told the Times: "Detectives entered the movie set today and continue to interview potential witnesses.

"Apparently there were quite a few people at the scene of what happened."

Discover more

Entertainment

Film crew were firing at cans before Alec Baldwin's fatal shot

26 Oct 04:54 PM
Entertainment

Assistant director of Baldwin film fired after 2019 mishap

26 Oct 02:10 AM
Entertainment

'Tacky even for him': Donald Trump Jr slammed over Alec Baldwin stunt

26 Oct 12:44 AM
Entertainment

Alec Baldwin's wife breaks silence after shooting tragedy

25 Oct 07:40 PM

Meanwhile, separate from the affidavit, the chief electrician on the movie shared details of Hutchins' last moments, including holding her in his arms "while she was dying".

Up and coming cinematographer, 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the set of the movie, Rust, when a live round was accidentally discharged. Photo / Getty Images
Up and coming cinematographer, 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the set of the movie, Rust, when a live round was accidentally discharged. Photo / Getty Images

The court documents reveal that moments before the shooting, the cast and crew had taken a lunch break before returning to set.

A picture of the last photo with Hutchins on set shows Baldwin inside a small church, surrounded by wooden pews.

Hutchins can be seen among five other cast members scattered around the set. According to the documents Baldwin was among the pews rehearsing a scene with the prop revolver.

Souza is standing alongside Hutchins, and according to the affidavit, "viewing the camera angle".

Baldwin was "practising" and drawing a revolver across his body and pointing it "towards the camera lens" when the weapon was fired and struck Hutchins in the chest.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Baldwin accidentally fatally shot and killed 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on Thursday on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico. Photo / Getty Images
Baldwin accidentally fatally shot and killed 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on Thursday on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico. Photo / Getty Images

Souza was also wounded in the shooting during a rehearsal of the low-budget movie at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico's capital.

"Joel stated that they had Alec sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practising a cross draw," the affidavit reads.

"Joel said he was looking over the shoulder of Halyna, when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop.

"Joel then vaguely remembers [Hutchins] complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection.

"Joel also said [Hutchins] began to stumble backwards and she was assisted to the ground.

"Joel explained that he was bleeding from his shoulder and he could see blood on Halyna."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Details of the 911 call have also been made public.

The panicked call, made by the film's script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, reveals how the team asked for help "immediately" after the shooting ordeal.

In the footage obtained by TMZ, the woman can be heard telling operators: "We've had two people accidentally shot on a movie set by a prop gun.

"We need help immediately."

The crew member making the call, who had left the building where the two injured people were located, said that she couldn't confirm if a real bullet was fired.

She also then told the dispatch it was during a rehearsal that the gun went off.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Inmates deliver surprising reaction to Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict

08 Jul 03:46 AM
Opinion

The 10 blockbuster movies you need to see before you die, according to our experts

08 Jul 02:00 AM
Entertainment

10 best blockbuster movies you need to watch before you die

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Inmates deliver surprising reaction to Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict

Inmates deliver surprising reaction to Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict

08 Jul 03:46 AM

'We never get to see anyone who beats the government.'

The 10 blockbuster movies you need to see before you die, according to our experts

The 10 blockbuster movies you need to see before you die, according to our experts

08 Jul 02:00 AM
10 best blockbuster movies you need to watch before you die

10 best blockbuster movies you need to watch before you die

'So sorry': Robert Irwin apologises after not paying for meal

'So sorry': Robert Irwin apologises after not paying for meal

07 Jul 11:16 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP