Alec Baldwin was practising drawing his gun when weapon discharged

The shot that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set last week was fired as actor Alec Baldwin was practising drawing his gun, according to the director who was injured in the shooting, an affidavit for a search warrant shows.

Joel Souza, director of the film “Rust,” was shot in the shoulder and director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed when the prop gun went off during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe Thursday.

Souza spoke to investigators Friday, according to the affidavit released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday.

Souza told them Baldwin was “sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practicing a cross draw,” the affidavit said. A cross draw is when a shooter pulls the weapon from a holster on the opposite side of the body from the draw hand.

Souza was looking over Hutchins’ shoulder “when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop,” according to the affidavit.

Souza recalled Hutchins “complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection” after the shot was fired, the document said.

Investigators also talked with camera operator Reid Russell, who was standing next to Souza and Hutchins at the time of the incident, the affidavit said.

Russell recalled Hutchins “saying she couldn’t feel her legs” and medics treating her as she was bleeding on the floor, investigators said.

Both Souza and Russell acknowledged difficulties on set that day because of a walkout of some members of the camera department over payment and housing. Due to the labor problems, Souza said they had only one camera available to use that day, and it was not recording at the time of the incident.

Souza also confirmed to an investigator that he heard the term “cold gun” on set, meaning the firearm should have been empty.

According to the warrant, Souza said three people had been handling the guns or firearms for scenes — they were checked by the armorer and first assistant director and then given to the actor using them.

The investigator said Souza was unaware of anyone on set being checked to see if they had live ammunition on them before or after the scenes were filmed.

The only thing checked are the firearms to avoid live ammunition being in them. Joel (Souza) stated there should never be live rounds whatsoever near or around the scene,” the affidavit said.

Souza’s representatives have not returned CNN’s requests for comment.

According to the affidavit, Russell told investigators Baldwin was “trying to explain how he was going to draw out the firearm and where his arm would be at when the firearm was pulled from the holster.”

Russell “was not sure why the firearm was discharged and just remembered the loud bang from the firearm,” the affidavit says.

When asked how Baldwin handled the firearm, Russell told investigators the actor “had been very careful” and recalled an earlier instance when Baldwin “made sure it was safe and that a child wasn’t near him when they were discharging a firearm during that scene.”

The search warrant sought to recover any footage, video cameras, computer equipment and memory cards used by cameras on the set.

No charges have been filed in the incident. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office says it will discuss the case further in a press conference Wednesday.

Assistant director was subject of complaints

According to an earlier search warrant affidavit, the film’s assistant director, David Halls, handed the prop gun to Baldwin before the shooting and yelled “cold gun,” a remark meant to indicate the weapon didn’t have live rounds.

Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns that were set up in a cart by an armorer for the movie and Halls did not know there were live rounds in the gun, the affidavit said.

Halls had been the subject of complaints over safety and his behavior on set during two productions in 2019, two people who worked closely with him told CNN.

The complaints against Halls include a disregard for safety protocols for weapons and pyrotechnics use, blocked fire lanes and exits, and instances of inappropriately sexual behavior in the workplace.

Maggie Goll, an IATSE Local 44 prop maker and licensed pyrotechnician, said in a statement to CNN that while working on Hulu’s “Into the Dark” Anthology Series in February and May of 2019, Halls neglected to hold safety meetings and consistently failed to announce the presence of a firearm on set to the crew, as is protocol.

Halls did not respond to CNN’s request for comment about Goll’s allegations against him.

The armorer who prepared the prop gun used by Baldwin was identified in the search warrant documents as Hannah Gutierrez. She had recently finished work on her first project as head armorer, she said in a September podcast interview.

“I was really nervous about it at first,” Gutierrez said of working as head armorer on the set of the movie “The Old Way,” starring Nicolas Cage.

“I almost didn’t take the job because I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but doing it, like it went really smoothly,” she said in an interview on the Voices of the West podcast, which is dedicated to the Old West.

Her work as armorer ranges from teaching actors how to wear a gun belt to aiming and shooting, she said.

‘She was my role model’

Hutchins’ husband described the loss of his wife as “enormous.”

“Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words,” Matthew Hutchins tweeted Friday. Hutchins also leaves behind a 9-year-old son.

In an interview with the Kyiv Post on Friday, Halyna Hutchins’ sister Svetlana Androsovych said her family was struggling with grief.

I cannot comprehend (her passing). I loved her very much … I was very proud of her and she was my role model,” Androsovych said. “This loss is a great grief for our family, and I see how hard it is for our parents. Hopefully, time will ease our heartache.”

CNN has reached out to Androsovych but not heard back.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at Albuquerque Civic Plaza on Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil to remember Hutchins.

The vigil was organized by by IATSE Local 600 and IATSE Local 480, chapters of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union — which represents workers in various roles in the entertainment industry.

Among the speakers was International Cinematographers Guild President John Lindley, who acknowledged that grief can easily turn to anger in the aftermath of a tragic loss, cautioning union members at the same time to “hold off on the anger for now and support (Hutchins’) family during this time.”

Local 600 created a verified GoFundMe page for Hutchins’ family. Nearly $200,000 had been raised as of early Monday.

The last speaker of the night was Lane Looper, a crew member from “Rust” who said he first met Hutchins around seven weeks ago. “I would’ve been lucky to do another movie with a person like that,” said Looper, who was visibly emotional. “She was a wonderful mom and wife and was just a wonderful soul, and I really hope more people like her exist.”

In a tweet Friday, Baldwin said he was heartbroken and was fully cooperating with police.

There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin said. “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”