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Several sources who were close to the set of Rust detailed a disregard for gun safety during the production to Fox News. The unidentified sources said that they were concerned about the "immature" and "lackadaisical" attitudes regarding the use of firearms on the set of the western.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed, and director Joel Souza was wounded when a gun held by Alec Baldwin was inadvertently discharged while he was rehearsing a scene. Baldwin was told by assistant director Adam Halls that the revolver was not loaded with live ammunition.
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed told authorities that she loaded the gun with ammunition from a box that was supposed to contain dummy rounds. Dummy rounds are designed to look like real ammunition but do not contain an explosive charge.
The sources shared a behind-the-scenes photo that showed Gutierrez Reed and two other women standing in a circle holding two revolvers and a long gun.
One long gun's barrel is resting against the belly of one of the women across from Gutierrez Reed as she uses her cellphone. The butt of the other is propped against her hip, barrel in the dirt. A third woman is holding the revolver by the end of the grip, with a tangle of wires in the same hand, barrel pointed down.
Other crew members were also concerned with gun safety, including Lane Luper, the A-camera first assistant on the film. Luper spoke to the Hollywood Reporter and explained why he and several other camera operators resigned before the fatal shooting. He said that the crew was overworked, and the producers were constantly trying to rush the filmmaking process and ignoring their concerns over pay and housing.
He described the department in charge of handling firearms as "inexperienced" and said that Gutierrez Reed was under immense pressure from producers.
"She just came across as incredibly overworked and inexperienced. She was on her second show. She had a department of three people on a show where everybody had a gun. It's a Western. It's a prop-heavy show, and the department was three inexperienced people," Luper said.
"It seemed like she was also under a lot of pressure to rush rush rush rush rush rush rush," he added.