Jensen Ackles’ Eerie Comments About Gun Safety Protocols on ‘Rust’ Set

Just days before the tragedy on the “Rust” set, Alec Baldwin’s co-star Jensen Ackles opened up about gun training on the set of the movie.

While attending a Denver convention for his hit show “Supernatural,” Jensen told fans in a video, “I've got a 6 a.m. call tomorrow to have a big shoot-out. They had me pick my gun. They were like, 'Alright, what gun would you like?' and I was like, 'I don't know?' and the armorer was like, 'Do you have gun experience?'”

“I was like, 'A little.' And she's like, 'Okay, well, this is how you load it, this is how we check it and make sure it's safe,’” Ackles added. “So she’s like, ‘Okay I’m gonna put some blanks in there and I want you to just go and fire off a couple rounds towards the hill.’ And I was like, ‘Okay.’ So I put the belt on, I put the gun there, and I walked out and she’s like, ‘Just make sure that you know, you pull the hammer all the way back and you aim at your target.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, I got it.’”

Ackles revealed that he had a Zoom meeting with Alec and director Joel Souza before signing on to the project. He said, “They started filming two weeks later.”

At the time of the convention, Jensen had been filming for “two weeks.”

Jensen also noted that he wasn’t the original choice for the role, but did not reveal the actor who dropped out due to schedule conflicts.

On Thursday, Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Baldwin, who stars in the film and is also a producer, fired the prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and wounded Souza, 48.

Hutchins was rushed via helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital, but died from her injuries. Souza was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in an ambulance and has been released.

The Sheriff’s Department says the “investigation remains open and active,” and that “no charges have been filed in regard to this incident.”

Alec expressed “shock and sadness” today over the death of Hutchins.