Thread by @VanityFair

The death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Alec Baldwin’s movie ‘Rust’ shocked the film industry. In the aftermath, the question is not just who is responsible, but what were the mistakes that led up to the tragic event in the first place? vntyfr.com/IioFlKW

The basic details are well known: A gun held by Alec Baldwin during a scene rehearsal went off, firing a real bullet that killed Hutchins and injured writer-director Joel Souza. Answers as to who or what is responsible won’t be clear-cut. vntyfr.com/LwCT1bC

This month, Santa Fe D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies expects to receive a forensics report from the FBI that could reveal critical details about the live round that killed Hutchins, and—possibly—who physically handled it. vntyfr.com/XsW7Jkz

The question of culpability remains. Virtually no one involved is willing to admit to it, especially as the threat of prosecution looms. But circumstances surrounding the film's production point to a series of failures, not just a single mistake.

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Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the novice armorer who prepped the weapon, was receiving mixed messages—she was both praised for her work director Souza and reprimanded by another manager for spending too much time on weaponry.

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Alec Baldwin's bombshell claim that he “didn’t pull the trigger” caught the attention of Carmack-Altwies, prompting her investigative team to do an unofficial test of their own:

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Baldwin said he feels grief, but not guilt. Representatives of Gutierrez Reed insist she did her best on a poorly run production. Assistant director Dave Halls, whose job involves enforcing safety, also doesn’t believe he is responsible, per his attorney. vntyfr.com/wsXWl10

Nothing will heal the loss felt by Hutchins's family. But understanding specifically what happened could prevent a similar loss from happening again. Read the full story: vntyfr.com/jkaKcQR