The incident occurred amid safety concerns on the set. Sources familiar with this situation said that crew members walked off the set within hours of the shooting because of these concerns. NBC News also quoted its sources that as saying the gun that killed Hutchins had misfired prior to the fatal shooting.
The Los Angeles Times, citing its own sources, previously reported there were two misfires of a prop gun days before the shooting, and that six hours before the fatal incident, union camera operators and their assistants walked off the job to protest working conditions.
Production company Rust Movie Productions, LLC has not commented about the alleged walkout. In a statement to CelebHomes News, the group said it was “not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set.” The company stated that it will “an internal review of all our procedures” while production is stopped.
Rust Productions, and all associated with the company, place safety as their top priority. “We will continue our cooperation with Santa Fe authorities during their investigation and offer mental care services to the crew during this tragic moment.”
According to NBC News investigators want to question three workers who were tasked to ensure Baldwin’s gun was loaded using blanks.
Additionally, the outlet obtained a call sheet for Thursday’s production, which lists the three individuals as the “property master, property key assistant/armorer, and property assistant.” Tobey Bayes, business agent for Hollywood property masters union IATSE Local 44, told the outlet that the three individuals listed are not members of the union.