Report: Crew left Alec Baldwin film set in protest before fatal shooting

Damning health and safety details have emerged from the independent production.

Crew members on the Rust film set staged a walkout protest hours before Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, according to reports. A half-dozen camera operators and their assistants are said to have been frustrated by the working conditions on the low-budget project, complaining about long hours, long-distance commutes and a delay in receiving payment. An exposé in the Los Angeles Times quotes, anonymously, three separate people familiar with the incident. It is alleged that industry-standard safety protocols were not followed, including routine gun inspections. Furthermore, at least one camera operator complained specifically about gun safety on the set as recently as last weekend. Two accidental prop gun discharges had already taken place prior to the fatal shooting on Thursday. Baldwin's stunt double fired two rounds last Saturday, having been informed that the gun was "cold" – meaning that it had no ammunition, including blanks. "There should have been an investigation into what happened," a crew member is quoted as saying. "There were no safety meetings. There was no assurance that it wouldn’t happen again. All they wanted to do was rush, rush, rush." Baldwin had been told that his own prop gun was safe before the fatal shooting took place. The gun in question was one of three prop firearms on a cart that had been set up by the armorer, a warrant document claims. First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said on Friday that the case is still in its preliminary stages of investigation, but the gathering of video, photos and evidence is the first step in building an overall picture of the incident. Baldwin released a public statement via Twitter on Friday evening. "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," he said. "I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred. "I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."