Weapons & Guns

Alec Baldwin is seemingly declaring his innocence in the accident that killed Halyna Hutchins by pointing out he was told it was a "cold" gun ... when it was actually loaded with a live round.

Baldwin retweeted an article Wednesday night about the most recent search warrant filed in the death investigation. The NYT story -- headlined, "Gun Handed to Alec Baldwin Was Not Thoroughly Checked" -- focused on the documents TMZ first told you about, which highlight several safety failures.

In the affidavit filed Wednesday, Assistant Director Dave Halls admitted to cops he had not thoroughly checked the weapon for live rounds before handing it to Baldwin.

While Alec hasn't said anything publicly since his first tweet the day after Hutchins was killed, his actions on social media speak volumes, retweeting multiple articles saying he was told the weapon was safe.

Head armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, told authorities prior to the scene, and during the movie's lunch break, the gun was locked in a safe and very few people had access to it.

The question that remains ... how did live ammo not only get on set, but into the gun's chamber? We spoke with several people from the set who told us outside of filming, the gun was sometimes used for recreational use and target practice.

Both the Santa Fe Co. Sheriff's Office and District Attorney held a press conference Wednesday where they said charges are technically still on the table for everyone involved.

The family of the 6-year-old boy in Michigan who was shot outside their neighbors' home while retrieving his bicycle has lawyered up ... and they're dragging the neighbors to court.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Coby Daniel's father says his son is struggling to recover from the shooting, and the fam is anticipating some hefty medical bills in the future.

In his suit, Arnold Daniel claims his son is still in pain and shock from the incident, and will need to get professional help in the form of trauma counseling ... as well as psychiatric and psychological counseling.

Coby's dad says the neighbors, Ryan Le-Nguyen and Michael Inhmathong, should be liable for the damage because they knew children in the neighborhood played near their yard and had a duty to keep it safe for them ... and further claims Le-Nguyen had shown "aggressive behavior" toward the kids numerous times in the past.

As we reported ... Le-Nguyen allegedly shot young Coby in the arm after chasing him around with a sledgehammer. The neighbor was reportedly pissed Coby and a buddy left their bicycles on the sidewalk in front of his home.

Coby's dad is going after the neighbors for at least $4 million in damages.

It's time to drop the curtain on the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" after the fatal shooting on set ... at least according to one of the principal actors.

Ian A. Hudson, a New Mexico-based principal cast member who plays an outlaw in the film, tells TMZ ... the show can't go on because slain cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was the vision behind the movie.

While Ian says it's ultimately up to director Joel Souza and the rest of the creative minds, he thinks the movie just wouldn't be the same without Halyna and Joel working in tandem ... and it's time to throw in the towel.

Remember ... Ian was smack in the center of some of the gun scenes in the movie, and he told us his shootout scene felt "life-threatening" because real firearms were firing blanks at him, resulting in him being struck by small bits of cardboard and a rush of air.

As you know ... Alec pulled the trigger on a gun that fired the fatal live round of ammo that killed Halyna and injured Joel.

Assistant director Dave Halls gave Alec the gun used in the scene, telling him it was a "cold gun" ... meaning it was not loaded.

There's an ongoing investigation into the incident and authorities say criminal charges are still on the table for all involved ... which could make it even harder for the movie to continue.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

The head armorer on the set of "Rust" told authorities she took all the necessary steps to secure the gun that killed the cinematographer ... but the assistant director confessed the gun was not thoroughly checked before Alec Baldwin fired the fatal round.

According to a new search warrant, obtained by TMZ, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed told authorities the day of the shooting she had checked the ammo -- which she called the "dummies," meaning they were not live rounds. She added there were never live rounds on the set.

She went on to say the gun was locked up in a safe in a prop truck during the lunch break and taken out shortly before the fatal scene. The implication -- she's saying the gun appeared safe to her, because it wasn't messed with it during lunch. She did, however, say there were a few people who had access to the safe.

Assistant director David Halls -- the person who handed the weapon to Baldwin and called it a "cold gun" -- confessed when she showed him the firearm before rehearsal he could only remember seeing 3 rounds. He admitted he should have checked all of the rounds, and doesn't remember if Hannah spun the drum before she handed him the gun, and he, in turn, handed it to Baldwin.

After cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza were shot, Halls says he inspected the chamber and he remembers seeing at least 4 dummy casings with the signature hole on the side, and one without the hole. He said the one without the hole didn't have a cap ... the implication is it was the remains of a live round of ammunition.

This all points to a lapse of safety precautions on the set, and that's something the District Attorney is now looking at in determining if criminal charges should be filed. The D.A. said charges are on the table for everyone involved. Authorities want to speak with Baldwin again and they want to review the employment history of both Halls and Gutierrez-Reed before making a filing decision.

The armorer on "Rust" got an earful from one Nicolas Cage when she was working on his movie earlier this year -- and it doesn't sound like he was confident in her abilities either.

The veteran actor reportedly got pissed and yelled at Hannah Gutierrez-Reed over the summer while shooting his newest flick, "The Old Way," down in Montana -- this after she apparently fired off weapons around the crew without warning, not once but TWICE.

According to The Wrap, the 24-year-old rookie was allegedly complained about a lot ... not just by Cage, but by other seasoned people who noticed -- she was out of her element.

As for the supposed NC blowup ... Sharon Waxman reports after the second time in 3 days of Gutierrez-Reed testing a weapon near everyone else unexpectedly, Cage yelled -- "Make an announcement, you just blew my f***ing eardrums out!" Then, he stormed off.

A key grip on 'TOW' claims Cage wasn't the only one who was frustrated -- he apparently told the assistant director the young armorer had to go, as he felt she was slipping up.

Now, for the record, a producer for "The Old Way" denies any such account ... while saying the accounts about Gutierrez-Reed on that set are being blown out of proportion. They went on to say she was working under a head prop master, and felt she was just fine.

The gaffer from the set of 'Rust' who torched producers and the novice armorer over Halyna Hutchins' death is back in Los Angeles. ... and he's got some support waiting for him.

Serge Svetnoy touched down in L.A. Tuesday just a couple days after his scathing Facebook post squarely blaming Hannah Reed and others working behind the scenes for allowing this tragedy to unfold on set.

As you can see, Serge was greeted by a friend ... who was ready to welcome him with open arms. The 2 embraced in a hug, although the guy still looked pretty somber, and understandably so.

He also appears to be one of the first crew members back on the West Coast after last week's shooting incident in New Mexico. It could be a sign of where cops are in the investigation too -- presumably, the authorities are starting to cut people loose.

Like we told you ... Serge wasn't shy about sharing his criticism of what went wrong and whose actions he thinks cost Halyna her life. He explicitly mentioned the 24-year-old weapons expert ... while also throwing around words like "negligence" and "unprofessionalism."

In addition to his comments, he also posted what's believed to be one of the last photographs of her ... shortly before she died.

She and the rest of the crew were rehearsing a scene in a church, where Alec Baldwin was in full costume ... and where he ultimately did a cross-draw motion and fired the gun, not knowing it had a live round of ammo in one of the chambers. Serge says he was holding Halyna, and was covered in her blood before she was airlifted.

So far, there've been no criminal charges brought forth -- but the investigation is still underway, and this is far from over.

NBA YoungBoy is finally sprung from jail -- after several months behind bars in his federal gun case -- but he had to drop some serious coin to make it happen.

The rapper's attorneys, Drew Findling and Andre Belanger, tell TMZ ... NBA YB was released on bond Tuesday after forking over $500k in cash. The St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, which had the rapper in custody since March, confirms they've handed him his walking papers.

YoungBoy might be rejoicing about regaining his freedom until he stands trial ... but he's on a tight leash. He's gotta keep his nose clean -- or else he'll land right back in a cell.

His legal team tells us a condition of YoungBoy's release includes home confinement in Utah, where his location is being monitored. How exactly they'll keep track of him isn't quite clear --  whether it's electronic or physical surveillance -- but we're told the authorities are keeping tabs.

TMZ broke the story ... cops had to use a K-9 unit here in L.A. to wrangle YoungBoy after he allegedly evaded a traffic stop and spurred a police chase.

The gun scenes in the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" were considered dangerous enough to provide certain protections ... but not protections for people, but rather the expensive camera.

Ian A. Hudson, a New Mexico-based principal cast member who plays an outlaw in the film, tells TMZ ... his last scene in the movie on October 8 was a shootout where he was killed, and he says he was terrified that there were 20 rounds from pistols and rifles that were unloading blanks, and the only protection against a mishap was some sort of shield around the camera.

Hudson describes what he says was something like a 3X2 foot shield, with the only part exposed being the lens. He was standing 6 feet in front of the camera, and wondered why there was a need to protect the camera as he stood there exposed. He adds there were people standing behind the camera, something gun experts say should not have happened.

Hudson says he felt the scene was "life-threatening," because real weapons were being pointed at him and blanks discharged, creating a rush of air that struck him multiple times. He also said he was hit by small pieces of cardboard.

The actor told us he didn't complain because he was new in the business and felt he would be viewed as trouble if he voiced concern.

And, Hudson says, he and his fellow actors were alarmed enough to reference the accidental killing of Brandon Lee back in 1993. He told us they discussed the fact that it didn't seem like much has changed in the last 30 years.

Hudson says the other, more experienced actors checked their weapons 2 or 3 times after they received them from the armorer, and it didn't matter whether they were told the gun was "cold" or "hot." Baldwin did not check the weapon, but rather relied on the assistant director who assured him the gun was "cold."

The armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is now under the microscope because of her inexperience ... something she talked about in a recent podcast. But, Hudson says director, Joel Souza, praised Hannah when Hudson was on set, telling her she was doing a good job.

As we reported, Souza was shot along with director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, who died from her injures after being hit by a live round.

Ian's character was killed in a shootout with Jensen Ackles' character ... and he says it was extremely unsettling.

The crew on the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" appears to have taken shortcuts on safety -- ones a top film weapons expert says could've and should've been avoided.

We talked to Steve Wolf -- who's been working in SFX and props in films for several decades -- and he laid out exactly what he thinks went wrong on the New Mexico set where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot and killed.

Check out our convo with him on "TMZ Live" ... Steve says the lead armorer, Hannah Reed, was not experienced enough to handle the job, in his opinion.

He explains with that type of role on a set -- one of the most important ones, especially if weapons are at play -- it requires a certain authority and expertise he believes Reed might not have had.

He also says low-budget flicks -- which "Rust" appears to be -- often do a lot of corner-cutting ... like not waiting on actual prop guns, or opting for live ammo or not taking the extra steps to thoroughly check weapons before they're used.

Finally, he addresses the burning question on everyone's minds -- who's actually responsible, and should Baldwin himself shoulder any blame? In Wolf's eyes, he does ... to a certain extent, anyway.

Alec Baldwin was practicing a "cross draw" -- pointing his gun at the camera -- when a live round struck the director in the shoulder and the cinematographer fatally in the chest ... this according to new court documents.

Director Joel Souza told Sheriff's investigators he heard someone -- we're told the assistant director -- say "cold gun" while they got ready for the scene ... meaning the gun did not have live rounds in the chambers. Significantly, it appears the gun had been inspected before the lunch break but Souza could not remember if it had been checked when the crew returned.

A cameraman named Reid Russel told authorities, "Alec was trying to explain how he was going to draw out the firearm and where his arm would be when the firearm was pulled from the holster."

Souza explained Baldwin pointed the gun directly at the camera and fired, striking him in the shoulder and Halyna Hutchins in the chest. Souza says he had a vague memory that Hutchins was complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection. He says she then began to stumble backward and was assisted to the ground. He says he was bleeding from his shoulder and could see blood on Halyna.

Russel said after the shooting, Halyna said she could not feel her legs. Once on the ground, medics frantically began treating her as she was bleeding on the ground. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Steve Wolf, a special effects coordinator and theatrical firearms safety expert, told CNN there were 3 errors committed that resulted in the tragedy -- using a real gun rather than a prop gun, having a live round in the gun and having people stand behind the camera in the "line of fire." He also said the assistant director should not have been the one to clear the gun before the incident  ... that should have been the armorist's job.

Souza told authorities ... there should never have been live rounds near or around the scene that's being rehearsed or shot.

Authorities have obtained a search warrant to seize all camera footage and any other computer data that may have recorded the fatal incident.

The assistant director on the set of "Rust" who told Alec Baldwin the prop gun he was about to fire was safe has allowed an unsafe working environment on previous productions ... this according to someone who worked with him on a previous production.

Propmaker Maggie Goll worked with A.D. Dave Halls in 2019 on Hulu's "Into the Dark" series. She says, "At first he seemed like an older, affable first [A.D.] with the usual run of idiosyncrasies, but that facade soon disappeared," adding, "He did not maintain a safe working environment."

"He did not maintain a safe working environment," Goll said in a statement to NBC News. "Sets were almost always allowed to become increasingly claustrophobic, no established fire lanes, exits blocked ... safety meetings were nonexistent."

Goll says in one case Halls continued to let cameras roll in the middle of a medical emergency -- when something happened to the pyrotechnician -- and she says that created a dangerous situation.

Perhaps most alarming ... she says Halls didn't hold safety meetings when a gun was used on the set.

Halls is the one who gave Baldwin the prop gun and yelled, "cold gun" ... meaning it had no live rounds. Apparently that was a fatal error.

The smoking gun that claimed the life of Halyna Hutchins might've been more than just an on-set prop -- it was also being fired recreationally, even when cameras weren't rolling.

Multiple sources directly connected to the 'Rust' production tell TMZ ... the same gun Alec Baldwin accidentally fired -- hitting the DP and director -- was being used by crews members off set as well, for what we're told amounted to target practice.

We're told this off-the-clock shooting -- which was allegedly happening away from the movie lot -- was being done with real bullets ... which is how some who worked on the film believe a live round found its way in one of the chambers that day.

Obviously, authorities would want to speak to anyone who had been using the weapon for target practice, and -- more importantly -- to whoever was putting the gun back among others used for filming.

We've reached out to law enforcement to see if that's happened yet.

Hailey Bieber is speaking up on the accidental shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life -- meanwhile ... her own director and husband have something to say as well.

Alec Baldwin's niece shared some somber words on behalf of all affected parties, taking to IG to write ... "Sending all my love to the family of Halyna Hutchins. This is a truly unimaginable and devastating tragedy."

She adds, "My thoughts are also with Joel Souza as he recovers. I am absolutely heartbroken for everyone involved." No explicit mention of Alec -- to whom she has a direct tie -- but it's obvious why Hailey's weighing in ... as this is a family affair.

As Hailey sent her own thoughts ... Joel Souza -- the director of the Baldwin flick, "Rust," who was also injured during the accident -- has broken his silence on the tragedy. He tells Deadline, "I am gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna. She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to be better."

He adds, "My thoughts are with her family at this most difficult time. I am humbled and grateful by the outpouring of affection we have received from our filmmaking community, the people of Santa Fe, and the hundreds of strangers who have reached out. It will surely aid in my recovery." Souza was reportedly released from the hospital Friday with a shoulder injury.

Finally, Hutchins' widowed hubby, Matt, also shared some thoughts publicly for the first time -- writing, "Thank you to Halyna's friends and mentors at AFI for establishing a scholarship to honor her memory and support aspiring female cinematographers."

He continues, "Anyone seeking to honor her memory, please direct your giving to this fund."

Alec had previously said he was in contact with Matt ... and was cooperating with law enforcement to figure out how exactly this might've happened. There are already some clues, however, that have surfaced in a warrant -- which said an assistant director handed Alec the hot gun, thinking it was "cold."

The woman responsible for handling weapons on the set of Alec Baldwin's "Rust" had only recently taken on a gig as a head armorer, and shared she had real doubts about doing the job.

Hannah Reed -- daughter of Hollywood armorer Thell Reed -- appeared on the "Voices of the West" podcast last month to talk about her new experiences in the biz. Reed told the hosts she had just wrapped a western movie with Nic Cage called "The Old Way" ... and it was her first time as head armorer on a movie.

In a now-eerie confession, Reed says of the Cage job, "You know, I was really nervous about it at first, and I almost didn't take the job because I wasn't sure if I was ready ... but, doing it, like, it went really smoothly."

Reed also talked about the guidance she's gotten from her dad -- who has previously worked on "Django: Unchained" "3:10 to Yuma" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" -- as an armorer.

In talking about her training, Reed told the podcast hosts loading blanks in prop guns was "the scariest" thing to her, because she didn't know how to do it ... but it was something her dad had helped her work through.

Of course, there are still a lot of questions surrounding the accident on set ... including whether it was a live round in the gun Baldwin fired or a blank. Indiewire obtained an email sent by the propmasters union which claimed the gun Alec Baldwin fired had a "live single round" which struck 2 crew members.

A source who was working on the film tells us just last weekend there were several issues with blanks being shot when they weren't supposed to ... it's unclear who the head armorer was at that time.

K.C. Chiefs star Frank Clark has been hit with another gun charge ... this stemming from his June arrest where he allegedly drove around with an uzi in his car.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Clark was pulled over in L.A. back on June 20 for a routine traffic violation, when cops say they saw an uzi sticking out of an open duffle bag in his Lambo SUV.

Clark was arrested and booked for illegal possession of a firearm ... and law enforcement sources tell us L.A. prosecutors formally hit him with one count of possession of an assault weapon this week.

Clark is due in court for a hearing on the matter on Jan. 17 ... one week after the Chiefs' season is scheduled to end.

Of course, Clark was already facing a separate gun charge related to another incident in California on March 13.

In that case, cops say they pulled over the 28-year-old and another man for failing to display a front license plate.

Police say during the stop, they noticed a gun in the car ... and after searching the ride, they say they found two loaded firearms, and arrested both men.

Sources close to Clark at the time claimed the guns did NOT belong to the NFL player -- but rather to a member of his security team.

The gun handed to Alec Baldwin before the fatal shooting on the "Rust" movie set was loaded with a live round ... according to a warrant from the ongoing police investigation.

The warrant says an assistant director handed the gun to Alec and told the actor it was safe to use before the deadly incident ... according to the warrant obtained by the Associated Press.

The warrant says the assistant director didn't know the gun was loaded, but it doesn't mention who actually loaded the gun ... which may become the central issue.

Alec's blood-stained costume from the movie has been taken as evidence, as well as the gun that went off, plus other prop guns and ammo being used on set, according to the warrant.

The warrant says Halyna Hutchins was shot in the chest and Joel Souza was wounded as he was standing behind her.

A source working on the movie tells us gun safety has been a consistent issue on set, and just last weekend blank rounds were shot when they weren't supposed to go off.

As we reported ... Alec pulled the trigger on the gun and the accident resulted in the death of 42-year-old cinematographer Hutchins. She was struck and airlifted to a hospital, where she died. Director Souza was also hit, but has reportedly been released from the hospital.