Alec Baldwin waved gun around on Rust film set before fatal shooting, court hears

Actor Alec Baldwin waved a gun around on the film set where a cinematographer was fatally shot, a court has heard.

In footage shown at the trial of the film's armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Mr Baldwin is also seen telling her to reload the gun more quickly.

She denies involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.

Mr Baldwin was holding the gun when it went off but has said he didn't pull the trigger. He has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

The actor, who was also a producer on the film Rust, is expected to face a separate trial in July.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died in the incident on the set near Santa Fe in New Mexico in October 2021.

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The footage played on Thursday showed Mr Baldwin gesticulating with a pistol loaded with blanks and firing the gun within close proximity to camera operators, the AFP news agency reported.

He was also seen asking Ms Gutierrez-Reed why she didn't have more weapons ready.

After the director called "cut", he said: "One more! One more! One more! Right away! Let's reload!"

He was also heard saying: "We should have two guns and both we're reloading."

Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Baldwin endangered safety by rushing production.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, pictured in 2019

Firearms expert Bryan Carpenter, a prosecution witness, said Ms Gutierrez-Reed should not have allowed herself to be hurried.

"Rushing with firearms and telling someone to rush with firearms is not normal nor accepted," he told the court.

"In a situation like that, when you're getting rushed to that extent, that's when safety starts to fall by the wayside."

Asked about footage of Mr Baldwin showing crew members how he would hold the gun, Mr Carpenter replied: "He's using the weapon as a pointing stick."

Rust's first assistant director Dave Halls, who also gave evidence on Thursday, defended the actor. "There was never any Mr Baldwin rushing anybody," he said, according to Reuters.

In emotional testimony, Mr Halls told the court he was ultimately to blame himself because he did not do a final check on the gun.

Last year, Mr Halls pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon and received a suspended six-month sentence.

As the armourer, Ms Gutierrez-Reed was in charge of firearms on the film set. She faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

Involuntary manslaughter against Mr Baldwin were dropped last April, just two weeks before he was due to go on trial, but were reinstated in January after New Mexico prosecutors said there was new forensic evidence.