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'Rust' shooting: New affidavit reveals weapons supplier may have provided live ammo
More details have emerged about the Oct. 21 shooting on the set of Rust.
A search warrant issued by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday reveals the weapons supplier, who has a connection to armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed's father, may have provided the live ammunition that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The sheriff's office also released incident reports revealing the clearest picture yet on what happened at Bonanza Creek Ranch after Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun allegedly containing a live round.
According to the affidavit reviewed by Yahoo Entertainment, Hannah informed officers that ammunition for the Western indie film was purchased from "various sources," including Seth Kenney, owner of PDQ Arm & Prop. Kenney apparently contacted investigators on Oct. 29 saying he might know where the live ammunition came from. Kenney thought it could have been "handmade reloaded rounds" that he got from a friend "years" prior.
Kenney also worked with Hannah's father, Thell Reed, on a separate film project just months prior. Thell, a longtime Hollywood armorer, told officers on Nov. 17 that he provided Kenney with live ammunition on the set of that production. Thell alleges Kenney requested the live ammunition to train the actors "in the event they ran out of what was supplied," per the document.
"Thell stated he did bring an 'ammo can' with live ammunition from a friend ... he advised there was approximately 200-300 rounds in the can," the affidavit states. Thell claims Kenney took the can and the remainder of the ammunition back to New Mexico. When he requested to get it back, Kenney allegedly said to "write it off." Thell told investigators the can had .45 caliber Colt ammunition, which may match the ammunition found on the set of Rust.
"The Sheriff's Office has taken a huge step forward today to unearth the full truth of who put the live rounds on the Rust set, by executing a search warrant on PDQ Arm & Prop, owned by Armorer-Mentor, Seth Kenney. We trust that the FBI will now compare and analyze the 'live rounds' seized from the set to evidence seized in the search warrant to conclusively determine where the live rounds came from," Hannah's attorney, Jason Bowles, tells Yahoo in a statement.
"In keeping with the early findings and concerns of our own internal investigation, which were echoed by a detailed report in the LA Times, we also hope that there will be further investigation into the important detail about a new ammunition box seen on set the day of the shooting," Bowles continues. "The questions of who introduced the live rounds onto the set and why are the central questions in the case. Today's warrant is a major step towards answering those questions and we commend the Sheriff’s Office and their lead investigator on their continuing tireless work to find the truth."
Baldwin fired a live round from a Colt .45 revolver, according to authorities, that killed Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza, 48. One officer who responded to the scene described Hannah as "very emotional" and at times "agitated because of the incident." The officer told her she was not under arrest. The 24-year-old is at the center of the investigation along with assistant director David Halls. It was only Hannah's second film as a lead armorer.
According to another officer's incident report, Baldwin sought out authorities immediately after the tragedy.
"I was approached by a male that told me he had to talk to me, I told the male that I would be with him shortly after I conducted my duties. The male told me that he had to talk to me, because he was the one that fired the firearm. I looked at the male and recognized him to be well-known actor Alec Baldwin," the officer wrote, who was in charge of securing the perimeter of the church where the shooting took place.
A different investigator was instructed to take Baldwin to the sheriff's office for an interview. Before they departed, Baldwin turned over his "movie set clothing" to be collected by the evidence technician.
The shooting is still being investigated by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, but no one has been charged criminally. However, Baldwin and his fellow producers are facing at least two civil lawsuits related to the shooting.
WATCH: Alec Baldwin's Rust budget revealed as armorer maintains she "always inspected the rounds"
