‘Rust’ crew member reveals Alec Baldwin liked to use real guns for feel of ‘hero props’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A court was informed on Monday, February 26, that Alec Baldwin intended to "whip it out," alluding to the firearm that unintentionally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming 'Rust'.

In a disturbing video presented at Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's trial, Baldwin was seen drawing his gun in the very same location where he killed Hutchins a few hours later.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, testified at the trial related to the sad incident that she had taken cocaine and marijuana the evening before Baldwin unintentionally shot cinematographer Hutchins in October 2021.

'Rust' crew member claimed nobody stood up to 'big boss' Alec Baldwin

According to crew member Ross Addiego, "safety seemed to be secondary to the production clock" because the movie could not afford to waste any time.

The witness stand described the indie western set where Hutchins died as being in a "state of rushed chaos" in the weeks leading up to the tragedy.

The jury heard that Baldwin, the main actor and producer, ordered the team to "move, move, move," and that nobody objected since he was the "big boss," as per Daily Mail.

Baldwin is heard in the video declaring that he would "whip it out," although the part merely required him to display the handle. The jury heard that Baldwin liked to use real guns instead of rubber ones as he cherished the way the "hero props" felt.

Crewmate Addiego worked as a dolly grip, which entails constructing and maintaining all of the equipment that has cameras affixed to it, as the jury was informed.

Addiego is one of three cast members who are suing Baldwin, 65, and 'Rust's producers at the moment, saying that Hutchins' death caused them to suffer from anxiety and PTSD.

'Rust' crew had 'only one' safety meeting in their tenure

Addiego stated in his evidence that he has worked on 100 films, including 'Men in Black 3' and 'Terminator 3,' and that the many safety lapses that occurred on the set in the two weeks before the tragedy were unheard of.

Since they essentially had people's lives in their hands, Addiego claimed that armorers were often among the "most uptight and anal retentive people on set."

While he was on the 'Rust' set, Addiego claimed that there should have been multiple safety meetings per day, but there was only one during his tenure.

"They don’t joke around, they stick to themselves and focus on the task at hand," he remarked. "Most of them seem to be either former military or law enforcement and have some sort of background with firearms."

'Rust' crew claimed Hannah Gutierrez-Reed 'wasn’t as serious or as professional'

According to Addiego, the armorer would usually load the cartridges in front of the cast and crew after letting them peer down the gun's barrel. Addiego was more concerned because that never occurred on 'Rust.'

"They call them safety checks for a reason. We were moving through those instead of pausing to have those checks," he remarked.

Addiego mentioned that Gutierrez-Reed "wasn’t as serious or as professional as I’m accustomed to with the other armorers I’ve worked with."

He claimed that she took stray rounds out of a fanny pack and left firearms unsecured and lying around on top of her prop cart.

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey questioned if Addiego ever remembered seeing Gutierrez-Reed load a gun in front of the workers. "A couple of times where she was put in a position to reload as quick as she could and hand it back to the actors," he stated.

Addiego responded that Baldwin and first assistant director Dave Halls were the ones who placed her in that role when questioned. To avoid being hurried, Addiego claimed to have witnessed other armorers slow down the pace.

Joel Souza, the director of 'Rust,' was struck by a bullet that passed straight through 42-year-old Hutchins, a mother of one, but he survived. Baldwin will go on trial later this year for involuntary manslaughter, a charge he disputes.

If found guilty, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed may spend 18 months behind bars. Gutierrez-Reed is charged with allowing a live round to enter the prop gun that Baldwin used to accidentally kill Hutchins in the shooting.