'Rust' shooting: Search warrant issued for Alec Baldwin's phone, says Santa Fe Court

Santa Fe court in New Mexico, where Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin’s movie 'Rust' was being filmed, has issued a search warrant for his phone to be seized following the fatal shooting of a cinematographer. According to an American court, a New Mexico judge signed a search warrant on Thursday, Dec. 16 authorising the investigation officers to search through Baldwin’s phone and find any relevant data in connection with the fatal shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the movie set on October 21.

An Apple iPhone is "believed to be in his possession,” the judge informed, as per several reports. He then ordered that Baldwin’s iMessages, where he exchanged chats with an unnamed person, must be sifted through in order to get hands-on more evidence. 

Eight-page warrant to access texts, emails, and phone data of Baldwin 

Director of photography, Hutchins, died from the prop gun shooting held by Baldwin, 63, on the low-budget western movie’s making. Another director Joel Souza was wounded. Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office issued an eight-page warrant that will not only allow the authorities to confiscate Baldwin’s phone but also download the information related to his movie “Rust” and any conversations that he has had with the production’s employees at the time.

This would include the text messages in the phone, emails, contacts, browser history, private messages on social media, as well as the recent call log, the warrant noted, according to the reports. Apart from Baldwin, the investigative authorities have been keeping a close eye on movie’s assistant director David Halls and the production’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed. 

In the warrant, Det. Alexandria Hancock wrote that she has requested for “Alec’s phone from him, as well as his attorney was instructed to acquire a warrant.” It reportedly went on to add that “there were several emails and text messages sent and received” regarding the production that she wishes to inspect.” This comes after Baldwin revealed to his investigators that he had sent emails to Gutierrez Reed discussing the different styles of guns and knives that could be used on set, adding that at first, they decided to use a bigger gun, but later settled for a Colt .45 prop gun. 

In a Dec. 2 interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin said that he doesn’t worry and that it will be highly unlikely for him to be criminally charged in the shooting incident. “I have been told by people who are in the know that it’s highly unlikely that I would be charged with anything criminally,” Baldwin told ABC. "I don't have anything to hide,"  said, adding that he continues to cooperate in investigations.”