Hollywood's rules were broken if "Rust" assistant director handled the gun before deadly shooting, armorer says
Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office deputies recovered loose ammunition, ammo in a box and in a fanny pack on the set of "Rust," according to court documents. It's unknown what type of ammunition was recovered.
Some in the entertainment industry are calling for a halt on use of real weapons in light of the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Hutchins was killed after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the movie set.
ABC's cop drama "The Rookie" announced it will stop filming with live gunfire immediately.
Others in entertainment are demanding similar action—including Shannon Lee, the daughter of Hollywood icon Bruce Lee and sister of Brandon Lee—who was killed by a prop gun on the set of "The Crow" in 1993.
"It's just such a maddening thing to have happened, you know, because it's tragic and it's horrible. And yet it didn't need to happen," Lee said.
Dutch Merrick, an armorer and prop master with 25 years of experience, says industry regulations on firearms are supposed to keep sets safe.
"So over 100 years, firearms use and motion picture and television has actually gotten safer and safer," Merrick said.
He added if the testimony described in police affidavits is correct, particularly if the assistant director, David Halls, handled the gun instead of the armorer, it suggests Hollywood's rules were not being followed.
CBS News has learned that Halls was fired from a movie in 2019 after a gun unexpectedly went off on set. According to reports, that gun had been declared "cold," meaning "unable to fire."
CBS News has reached out to Halls for comments but has not heard back.
