500 rounds of ammunition recovered from set of Alec Baldwin movie, sheriff says


Officials have collected around 600 pieces of evidence as part of an investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin movie Rust, including a lead projectile and 500 rounds of ammunition.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office provided an update Wednesday on its ongoing investigation after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza injured when Baldwin discharged a gun while rehearsing a scene. Sheriff Adan Mendoza said officials have thus far collected "about 600 items of evidence," including "three firearms, approximately 500 rounds of ammunition, and several pieces of clothing and accessories." The 500 rounds included a mixture of blanks, dummy rounds, and "possible additional live rounds," he said.
Officials believe they have also recovered the firearm that Baldwin fired, and "the actual lead projectile that was fired" has been recovered from Souza's shoulder, the sheriff said. This evidence is set to be submitted to the FBI for analysis.
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As far as whether any charges could be brought in the case, Mendoza said it's too early to say and that several witnesses still need to be interviewed in the investigation. But Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said "all options are on the table at this point," and "no one has been ruled out" from potential charges.
"If the facts and evidence and law support charges, then I will initiate prosecution at that time," Carmack-Altwies said.
These updates came after an affidavit said Baldwin was practicing unholstering and aiming a revolver on the film set when the gun discharged. Baldwin has been cooperative in the investigation, Mendoza said, as have the film's armorer and assistant director.
Mendoza criticized the "complacency" on the set of Rust, suggesting there are "safety issues" involved in this case that should be addressed by the entertainment industry, as well as "possibly by the state of New Mexico."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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