Santa Fe officials issue search warrant for Alec Baldwin’s iPhone in ‘Rust’ shooting inquiry

Santa Fe law enforcement obtained a search warrant Thursday for the contents of Alec Baldwin’s iPhone in connection with the fatal shooting on the set of the low-budget western movie “Rust.”

The eight-page warrant, written by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office and approved by a local judge Thursday afternoon, will allow investigators to seize Baldwin’s phone and download information related to “Rust” and the production’s employees.

That could include Baldwin’s text messages, emails, contacts, browser history, private messages on social media, as well as his recent call list, the warrant said.

The warrant is the fourth to be issued in the investigation into the Oct. 21 shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

Officials have been scrutinizing the actions of Baldwin — an actor and producer who fired the prop gun — as well as assistant director David Halls and the production’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed.

Det. Alexandria Hancock wrote that she had “requested Alec’s phone from him, as well as his attorney, and was instructed to acquire a warrant.”

Hancock wrote that there were “several emails and text messages sent and received” regarding the production that she wishes to inspect.”

According to the search warrant, Baldwin told investigators that he had exchanged emails with Gutierrez Reed discussing the different styles of guns and knives that could be used on set. He said he requested a bigger gun, and ultimately selected a Colt .45 prop gun with a brown handle.

Conversations about “Rust” that were available on Hutchins’ phone dated back to mid-July, and photographs that dated back to Sept. 7, the warrant said.

Baldwin said in a Dec. 2 interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos that he thinks it is “highly unlikely” that he would be criminally charged in the shooting.

Baldwin’s representative didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office has been scrutinizing the actions of Baldwin, who was also a producer on the western, as well as Halls and Gutierrez Reed as part of its investigation into Hutchins’ death.

Baldwin said he feels grief over Hutchins’ death but does not feel responsible for what happened.

“Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” Baldwin said. “Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me.”

During rehearsal, Baldwin said Halls handed him a revolver. Baldwin recalled Halls telling him, “This is a cold gun” — industry jargon for a weapon that is either literally empty or loaded with nonfiring dummy rounds.

Any information taken from Baldwin’s phone that isn’t relevant to the investigation would be sealed and not subject to further review, according to the warrant.