Joel Souza, the writer and director of Rust, recently opened up about the tragic incident where he was injured by the same bullet that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. This is his first comment following the events that took place on October 21, 2021.
The incident occurred in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during a scene involving a prop gun held by Alec Baldwin, who was unaware it had live ammunition. Baldwin has stated the gun discharged without him pulling the trigger, resulting in the fatal injury to Hutchins and Souza being shot in the shoulder.
Last month, a judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, ruling that evidence was improperly withheld by the prosecution. Meanwhile, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed received an 18-month sentence after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and is now attempting to overturn her conviction.
In a detailed interview with Vanity Fair, Souza, 51, spoke fondly of Hutchins, describing her as “too cool for me to know,” and confirmed that the scene leading to the accident will never be released. He decided to finish the film to honor Hutchins’ work, which would also benefit her family financially.
Souza shared that for over a year after the incident, he struggled with severe nightmares and visited multiple therapists without finding relief. He recalled a particularly dark moment following the shooting: “I hoped I would just bleed out overnight because I didn’t want to be around anymore.”
When it comes to firearms on film sets, Souza strongly believes that no real guns should ever be used again. “It should all be fake from here on to eternity,” he expressed, underlining the need for professional armorers to handle even replica weapons.
Regarding his relationship with Baldwin, he stated they have moved through the situation, but their connection is neither friend nor foe—just neutral.
Filming for Rust was completed in March, but a release date remains uncertain, as Souza refutes claims that the film has been shown to unenthusiastic distributors.
Professional Perspective on the Rust Incident
Dutch Merrick, a seasoned armorer and prop master, also shared insights into the industry following the Rust tragedy. With nearly three decades in the field, he is advocating for better training and safety measures.
Merrick initiated a Prop Gun Safety Training course to teach essential safety protocols on set, addressing the Rust incident and other similar tragedies involving gunfire in film.
He noted that some productions have reacted with “overcorrection,” opting for expensive post-production effects to simulate gunfire, while he believes industry-wide technical changes are necessary.
Currently, there is no official occupation code for armorers, which Merrick argues is critical for setting standards in wages and training. He suggests that all personnel involved with firearms on sets should pass a comprehensive certification to enhance safety.
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