Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing scene, pointed prop gun at camera before fatal shot: Report

The incident is still being investigated by police, who have executed a search warrant on the set.

Alec Baldwin was practising a scenario in which he pointed a pretend pistol at the camera lens when he fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, according to US media, citing an affidavit documenting his director's version of the event. According to the testimony given to US media on Sunday, director Joel Souza, who was standing behind Hutchins when the gun was shot, heard what "sounded like a whip and then a loud explosion." Baldwin, according to Souza, "He was seated on a pew in a church, doing a cross sketch". Joel stated that he was looking over Halayna's shoulder "when he heard the gunshots, according to the affidavit," NBC News reported.

According to the reports, Souza recalls Hutchins "complaining about her stomach and clutching her middle." "Joel also stated that Halayna began to stagger backwards and that she was assisted to the ground," according to the affidavit obtained by NBC. "Joel stated that he was bleeding from his shoulder and that he saw blood on Halayna," it added.

On Thursday's low-budget western "Rust," set in New Mexico, Hutchins, 42, was shot in the chest when Baldwin fired the prop gun he had been informed was safe. She was confirmed dead in the hospital some hours later. Doctors treated Souza, 48, and sent him home. The incident is still being investigated by police, who have executed a search warrant on the set. Baldwin has been interrogated by authorities in Santa Fe and has stated that he is completely cooperating with the investigation. The armourer, 24-year-old Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and the film's assistant director, Dave Halls, who delivered the weapon to the actor, have received attention. 

According to the affidavit, the event occurred during a lunch break, and Souza is unsure if the pistol was rechecked for safety after the break. According to a camera operator, the event was not captured on film since the actors and crew were still prepping for the scene. The new information came to light as Hutchins' horrified friends, and coworkers gathered to respect her at a memorial on Sunday, displaying their sadness and fury. A petition with over 20,000 signatures was gaining support for a ban on live guns on movie sets. A California senator announced he would introduce legislation prohibiting the use of live gunfire on sets in the state.