‘MANY LEVELS OF FAILURE’

‘Conspiracy Theories’: District Attorney Says No Proof of Sabotage on ‘Rust’ Set

“Prosecutors have to deal in facts and in evidence,” Mary Carmack-Altwies said, a week after defense lawyers suggested someone on set had wanted to “sabotage” the film.

Santa Fe’s district attorney has shut down theories raised by lawyers for Rust’s head armorer that someone on set deliberately placed a live round in a prop gun used by actor Alec Baldwin. Appearing on Good Morning America, Mary Carmack-Altwies on Wednesday said, “I know some defense attorneys have come up with conspiracy theories and have used the word ‘sabotage.’ We do not have any proof.” Head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers went on the Today show last week to point fingers at “disgruntled” or “unhappy” crew members who might have placed a live round in a box only supposed to contain dummies.

Carmack-Altwies acknowledged that authorities “don’t have an answer” as to how live rounds ended up on the film’s New Mexico set. But, she said, “prosecutors have to deal in facts and in evidence.” She confirmed on GMA that she knew who had loaded the gun, but declined to identify the person. She said there were “many levels of failure” on Rust.