Law enforcement do not know right now if the prop gun that Alec Baldwin fatally fired on a New Mexico film set yesterday contained a “live single round,” despite claims from an L.A. IATSE Local.

“We haven’t even begun the forensics on that issue,” Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Juan Rios told Deadline this morning. “That hasn’t been determined by us as of yet,” Officer Rios added. “We expect to have more information next week as our investigation continues.”

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed by the weapon Rust star/producer Baldwin “discharged” on Thursday on location just outside Sante Fe. Director Joel Souza was injured too and taken to a local hospital. He has since been released. Baldwin was questioned by the police after the horrible shooting and released later yesterday. “No arrests or charges have been filed,” the Sheriff’s department has said.

Late last night, as details were still emerging of what happened on the Rust set, IATSE Local 44 sent out an email to members alleging that there were more than blanks in the prop gun.

Dear Members,

As many of us have already heard, there was an accidental weapons discharge on a production titled Rust being filmed in New Mexico. A live single round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor, hitting both the Director of Photography, Local 600 member Halyna Hutchins, and Director Joel Souza. Both were rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, we lost Sister Hutchins who passed from the wound.

Local 44 has confirmed that the Props, Set Decoration, Special Effects and Construction Departments were staffed by New Mexico crew members. There were no Local 44 members on the call sheet.

On behalf of Local 44’s Officers, Executive Board and Staff, our thoughts and prayers go out to Halyna and her family. We also send good thoughts to Joel and his family for a full recovery.

In Solidarity,

Anthony Pawluc
Secretary-Treasurer
IATSE Local 44

According to sources close to events, the union local believes there was a “Live single round” in the prop gun because of the amount of damage the blast caused to Hutchins and to Souza, who supposedly was standing behind the DP went the shot struck her.

While there were no Local 44 members employed on the set of Rust, it is still to be determined if members of New Mexico Local 480, which covers “experienced film workers in 99 crafts within 20 departments,” according to their website, were working on the low budget Western.

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