- AP-US-PROP-FIREARM-MOVIE-SET
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An assistant director of the film "Rust" told Alec Baldwin that a weapon he gave him was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, according to court documents in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Instead, the gun was loaded with live rounds. When Baldwin pulled the trigger Thursday on the set of a Western, he killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The sheriff's office obtained the warrant so investigators could document the scene where the shooting took place. They sought to examine Baldwin's blood-stained costume for the film "Rust" as evidence.
- WILDFIRE AND WILDLIFE-EXPLAINER
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Wildlife centers in the U.S. West are caring for animals that weren't able to flee the flames or are looking for food in burned-over places. The animal care director at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care said an emaciated turkey vulture recently found on the Lake Tahoe shore couldn't fly, likely because food isn't as plentiful in burned areas. A veterinarian in California struggling to care for an adult bear with burned paws developed a tilapia skin bandage that's now used on 15 different species.
- AP-US-PROP-FIREARM-LAX-REGULATIONS
The film industry and its unions provide guidelines on how to deal safely with prop guns on movie sets. But in states where movie-making is big business, lawmakers and regulators rely on those suggested practices rather than regulate on-set firearm use. The lack of strict gun safety rules is under scrutiny after a cinematographer was killed by a prop gun on the New Mexico film set of "Rust." Court documents state an assistant director handed actor Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use. In New Mexico, as in other states, most of the legislative debate over the entertainment industry has focused on tax credits and incentives to lure it.
- OBIT-HALYNA HUTCHINS
NEW YORK (AP) — The cinematographer who was fatally shot with a prop gun by Alec Baldwin on a movie set grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle and worked on documentary films in Europe before studying film in Los Angeles. Halyna Hutchins was 42. She identified herself on Instagram as a "restless dreamer" and "adrenaline junkie." According to her website, she grew up surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines. She received a graduate degree in international journalism from Kyiv National University in Ukraine, worked on British documentary productions in Eastern Europe and graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2015.
- AP-US-FILM-TV-NOTABLE-ACCIDENTS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The shooting death of a cinematographer on the set of the set of the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" is a reminder of the dangers that can exist on film and television sets. As authorities investigate why a crew member handed Baldwin a loaded gun instead of one safe to use, industry leaders will look for ways to avoid similar tragedies. On-set fatalities have led to safety reforms in the past. A helicopter crash that killed actor Vic Morrow and two children on the 1982 set of "Twilight Zone: The Movie" led to new rules for filming with choppers. Gun safety rules were adopted after actor Brandon Lee was fatally shot while filming "The Crow" in 1993.
- PROP-FIREARM-MOVIE-SET-EXPLAINER
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died Thursday after Alec Baldwin fired a loaded weapon that was handed to him by an assistant director who indicated it was safe to use on the New Mexico set of "Rust." Director Joel Souza was also hit and injured but has since been released from the hospital. The sheriff's department is investigating and many things are still unknown. On movie sets, weapons masters are in charge of the weapons and must be present when a weapon is being used. And according to guidelines of the Actors' Equity Association, firearms must be loaded by the prop master, armorer or experienced persons working under their direct supervision.
- PHONE DIALING-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Starting Sunday, phone users across New Mexico must include area codes when dialing to make all calls, including local calls that previously only required seven digits. Officials say the requirement for 10-digit dialing is taking hold in numerous states, affecting 82 area codes across the nation, include both area codes in New Mexico. The change is being made in those area codes where some phone numbers have 988 prefixes. The Federal Communications Commission last year chose 988 for use as the three-digit abbreviated dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline starting next July.
- POLICE CUSTODY DEATH-ALBUQUERQUE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A department spokesman says two Albuquerque police officers were found to have violated restraint procedures in the Easter Sunday death of a man with a genetic disorder who they were taking into custody for allegedly punching a relative. The Albuquerque Journal reported Thursday an autopsy showed 43-year-old Danny White died of cardiac arrest while being restrained face-down. Huntington's disease, obesity and heart disease were also listed, and White's death was ruled a homicide. No criminal act was alleged. The spokesman says the officers received "non-disciplinary corrective action." Relatives told the officers that White had Huntington's — a genetic condition that can cause mood swings, personality changes and sudden body movements.