The incident involving the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust" in the U.S. and the injury of director Joel Souza from a bullet fired by Alec Baldwin on October 21 continues to unfold. In a shocking statement, weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez Reed (24) said she has no idea where the live bullet originated from.
In a statement released by her attorneys Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence on Friday evening and obtained by NBC News, Hannah Gutierrez Reed denied all "lies that have been told in the media in recent days." The attorneys emphasized that "safety was Hannah's number one priority on set," noting that she was unaware of where the live ammunition came from.
Risky
Conversely, two crew members from Nicholas Cage's upcoming film "The Old Way," which Hannah admitted was her first experience as a weapons supervisor, told CNN that they felt she was reckless in this project. However, her attorneys stated in their announcement that on the set of "Rust," the guns were secured every day during lunch and in the evenings, adding that Hannah had never witnessed anyone firing live rounds and would not allow it. They also confirmed that she had no idea how a live round was discharged during filming.
Complex Investigation
Additionally, Mary Carmack-Altwies, the Santa Fe County District Attorney, told CNN this week that the investigation into the fatal "Rust" incident is large and complex, and no reports have been confirmed regarding anyone firing live ammunition. A law enforcement official close to the investigation stated to CNN that investigators are uncertain whether the ammunition seized from the film set includes live bullets, noting that it will be sent to the FBI for analysis.
