A series of videos obtained exclusively by NBC News offer a never-before-seen glimpse of Alec Baldwin handling at least one prop gun and interacting with crew members while filming scenes for “Rust.” The images were taken days before Baldwin’s prop gun fired live ammunition on set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The five videos show Baldwin preparing for scenes, firing the weapons and acting in character. In two of them, he attempts to reorganize the crew members after expressing concern for his safety. The five videos total approximately seven minutes of footage and the crew was filming for two weeks before production was shut down.
The look inside the filming of the tragic film comes as special prosecutors in New Mexico will convene a grand jury Thursday to consider charging Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter.
The videos are among dozens that special prosecutors requested from Rust Movie Productions LLC in the spring and did not receive until October, according to a source familiar with the matter. NBC News has not reviewed the rest of the videos. Prosecutors announced their intention to re-charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter on October 17.
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It’s unclear how much of the footage prosecutors reviewed or whether they reviewed any of the five videos. NBC News asked Kari Morrissey, one of the two lead special prosecutors in the Jason Lewis case, what images her team reviewed and whether any of the images were involved in the charging decisions. She declined to comment, citing pending grand jury proceedings.
The source familiar with the case said the five videos could be presented to the grand jury.
Last monthMorrissey said in a statement“We believe that, based on our long and detailed investigation, it is appropriate for a grand jury in New Mexico to make a decision on whether the case should proceed.”
So far it’s the most substantial film footage of Baldwin acting out scenes and shooting prop weapons on the set of “Rust.” He also shows him interacting with team members in cinematic footage. Previously, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office Released video evidence, including rehearsal clips showing Baldwin in character practicing a quick-draw maneuver with a gun. Also included in the April 2022 release was body camera footage of investigators questioning Baldwin in the hours after the shooting. In February, a cell phone video obtained by KOB, Albuquerque’s NBC affiliate was released showing Baldwin shooting prop guns on set.
In the first video obtained by NBC News, Baldwin is seen lying on the ground holding a prop gun preparing to film a scene and telling someone to move to the “other side of the camera” because “I don’t want to shoot at you.” . ”
He can be seen in a second video asking for a blanket to be placed next to him, off camera. During the scene, where he throws his gun aside, he uses the blanket as a landing pad.
The third video shows Baldwin in character repeatedly firing a prop gun before he runs out of fake bullets. “One more, one more, one more,” he says. “Right now, right now, let’s reload,” he then says, apparently in an attempt to keep the scene moving. The clip concludes with him saying, “We should have had two guns and both reloading.”
In the fourth and fifth videos, Baldwin stops filming to check the safety of the equipment. In one, he expresses concern about the steepness of the path and says they should use a safer part of the trail, and in the other, a cameraman falls and Baldwin repeatedly asks, “Are you okay?” before filming resumes.
Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court,” Nikas and Spiro said in a statement in October after special prosecutors announced they would convene a grand jury.
At the time, NBC News He had learned from two sources that Baldwin and the special prosecutors had discussed him accepting a plea deal, but that it was rescinded in the days before his announcement.
One of the sources had also said at the time that prosecutors no longer believed the gun Baldwin had been using on set had been modified and that they had found new evidence that they believed connected Baldwin to the recklessness around the rules. security on set.
The charge could carry up to 18 months in prison if Baldwin is convicted.
Prosecutors have not said publicly what new evidence they have obtained during their months-long investigation. But a source familiar with the case said special prosecutors have had discussions in which they said they hope the trial will “humiliate” Baldwin, specifically citing his run-ins with paparazzi and public comments that did not address the case. The source added that it is intended to be a “teachable moment” for Baldwin.
The decision to present possible charges to a grand jury comes after an about-face by the same New Mexico prosecutors who dismissed manslaughter charge against Baldwin in April.
Baldwin has maintained in interviews with ABC News and CNN that he did not pull the trigger and that Deputy Chief Dave Halls declared the gun was “cold,” with no live ammunition. Halls did not object in March for misdemeanor negligent use of a deadly weapon and will serve six months of unsupervised probation.
“I feel like someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who it is, but I know it’s not me,” Baldwin said in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in December 2021.
The film’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutiérrez-Reed, was charged in January with involuntary manslaughter and her trial will begin on February 21. She pleaded not guilty.
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