The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office has issued a warrant to search Alec Baldwin’s cellphone amid the ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21.
Detective Alexandria Hancock requested the warrant to search for any evidence related to the Rust film production that could help in the investigation of the shooting that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.
The search warrant affidavit, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, states that Hutchins’ phone was briefly searched and conversations about Rust were found beginning in July, as well as photographs of receipts from Santa Fe businesses.
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Details from Baldwin’s interview with detectives are also shared in the affidavit, which states that Baldwin had shared emails with armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed discussing the different styles of guns and knives to be used for the production. Baldwin ultimately chose a Colt revolver with a brown handle.
On Oct. 21, Baldwin — who also served as a producer on Souza’s low-budget Western film — accidentally discharged a firearm while setting up a shot. The gun, which Baldwin has been told was “cold,” i.e., not loaded, actually contained a live round, which hit and killed Hutchins, 42, and injured Souza in the shoulder.
During a sit-down interview with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos earlier this month, Baldwin walked through what happened in detail, noting that Hutchins had been guiding him in how to hold the gun for a particular camera angle and that she told him to begin cocking the hammer. “I pulled the hammer as far back as I could without cocking the gun,” Baldwin said. “I let go of the hammer and bang, the gun goes off.”
The actor went on to say, “Everyone was shocked. … The gun was supposed to be empty. I was told I was handed an empty gun. She goes down, I thought to myself, did she faint?” he added. “The notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me until 45 minutes or an hour later.”
Baldwin, who learned of Hutchins’ death during an interview with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, said that there is “all kinds of civil litigation” surrounding the event.
When asked by Stephanopoulos whether he expects to face charges, Baldwin said, “I have been told by people in the know, even inside the state, that it is highly unlikely that I would be charged criminally.”
Reed and assistant director Dave Halls are also among those under investigation.
Dec. 17, 8: 30 a.m. Updated to include that THR had obtained the search warrant affidavit.
