Veteran prop master turned down Rust job over ‘massive red flags’ before Alec Baldwin fatal shooting

The accident has raised conversations about gun safety on sets (Picture: REX/AP)

A Hollywood prop master with 30 years of experience in the industry has told how he turned down working on Alec Baldwin’s film Rust due to ‘massive red flags’.

Last week, actor and producer Baldwin, 63, accidentally fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, with a prop gun on the set of the film.

Baldwin, who was unaware there was a live round in the gun, has not been arrested or charged over the incident but was questioned by police along with many others.

Neal W Zoromski chose to turn down the job and has said he felt the production was prioritising saving money over safety and that there was ‘no time to prepare’ since he was approached just two weeks before Rust was due to begin filming.

‘There were massive red flags,’ he told the LA Times.

‘In the movies, the prep is everything. …You also need time to clean, inspect and repair guns,’ he said.

‘You need time to fix old clocks. In period films, you are sometimes using antiques. But here, there was absolutely no time to prepare, and that gave me a bad feeling.’

Baldwin looked distraught after the shooting (Picture: AP)

He went on to describe the situation on set as an ‘accident waiting to happen’.

Following the shooting, Rust Movies LLC shared a statement saying: ‘The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company.

Hutchins was fatally shot (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

‘Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down.

‘We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time.’

Following the shooting, Hutchins was taken to hospital by helicopter but died from her injuries.

Santa Fe County district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has not ruled out criminal charges in the investigation.

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She told the New York Times ‘we haven’t ruled out anything’ in the investigation.

She added: ‘Everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table.’ 

Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Alec Baldwin and the production company for comment.

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