Weapons & Guns

NBA YoungBoy is finally sprung from jail -- after several months behind bars in his federal gun case -- but he had to drop some serious coin to make it happen.

The rapper's attorneys, Drew Findling and Andre Belanger, tell TMZ ... NBA YB was released on bond Tuesday after forking over $500k in cash. The St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, which had the rapper in custody since March, confirms they've handed him his walking papers.

YoungBoy might be rejoicing about regaining his freedom until he stands trial ... but he's on a tight leash. He's gotta keep his nose clean -- or else he'll land right back in a cell.

His legal team tells us a condition of YoungBoy's release includes home confinement in Utah, where his location is being monitored. How exactly they'll keep track of him isn't quite clear --  whether it's electronic or physical surveillance -- but we're told the authorities are keeping tabs.

TMZ broke the story ... cops had to use a K-9 unit here in L.A. to wrangle YoungBoy after he allegedly evaded a traffic stop and spurred a police chase.

The gun scenes in the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" were considered dangerous enough to provide certain protections ... but not protections for people, but rather the expensive camera.

Ian A. Hudson, a New Mexico-based principal cast member who plays an outlaw in the film, tells TMZ ... his last scene in the movie on October 8 was a shootout where he was killed, and he says he was terrified that there were 20 rounds from pistols and rifles that were unloading blanks, and the only protection against a mishap was some sort of shield around the camera.

Hudson describes what he says was something like a 3X2 foot shield, with the only part exposed being the lens. He was standing 6 feet in front of the camera, and wondered why there was a need to protect the camera as he stood there exposed. He adds there were people standing behind the camera, something gun experts say should not have happened.

Hudson says he felt the scene was "life-threatening," because real weapons were being pointed at him and blanks discharged, creating a rush of air that struck him multiple times. He also said he was hit by small pieces of cardboard.

The actor told us he didn't complain because he was new in the business and felt he would be viewed as trouble if he voiced concern.

And, Hudson says, he and his fellow actors were alarmed enough to reference the accidental killing of Brandon Lee back in 1993. He told us they discussed the fact that it didn't seem like much has changed in the last 30 years.

Hudson says the other, more experienced actors checked their weapons 2 or 3 times after they received them from the armorer, and it didn't matter whether they were told the gun was "cold" or "hot." Baldwin did not check the weapon, but rather relied on the assistant director who assured him the gun was "cold."

The armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is now under the microscope because of her inexperience ... something she talked about in a recent podcast. But, Hudson says director, Joel Souza, praised Hannah when Hudson was on set, telling her she was doing a good job.

As we reported, Souza was shot along with director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, who died from her injures after being hit by a live round.

Ian's character was killed in a shootout with Jensen Ackles' character ... and he says it was extremely unsettling.

The crew on the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" appears to have taken shortcuts on safety -- ones a top film weapons expert says could've and should've been avoided.

We talked to Steve Wolf -- who's been working in SFX and props in films for several decades -- and he laid out exactly what he thinks went wrong on the New Mexico set where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot and killed.

Check out our convo with him on "TMZ Live" ... Steve says the lead armorer, Hannah Reed, was not experienced enough to handle the job, in his opinion.

He explains with that type of role on a set -- one of the most important ones, especially if weapons are at play -- it requires a certain authority and expertise he believes Reed might not have had.

He also says low-budget flicks -- which "Rust" appears to be -- often do a lot of corner-cutting ... like not waiting on actual prop guns, or opting for live ammo or not taking the extra steps to thoroughly check weapons before they're used.

Finally, he addresses the burning question on everyone's minds -- who's actually responsible, and should Baldwin himself shoulder any blame? In Wolf's eyes, he does ... to a certain extent, anyway.

Alec Baldwin was practicing a "cross draw" -- pointing his gun at the camera -- when a live round struck the director in the shoulder and the cinematographer fatally in the chest ... this according to new court documents.

Director Joel Souza told Sheriff's investigators he heard someone -- we're told the assistant director -- say "cold gun" while they got ready for the scene ... meaning the gun did not have live rounds in the chambers. Significantly, it appears the gun had been inspected before the lunch break but Souza could not remember if it had been checked when the crew returned.

A cameraman named Reid Russel told authorities, "Alec was trying to explain how he was going to draw out the firearm and where his arm would be when the firearm was pulled from the holster."

Souza explained Baldwin pointed the gun directly at the camera and fired, striking him in the shoulder and Halyna Hutchins in the chest. Souza says he had a vague memory that Hutchins was complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection. He says she then began to stumble backward and was assisted to the ground. He says he was bleeding from his shoulder and could see blood on Halyna.

Russel said after the shooting, Halyna said she could not feel her legs. Once on the ground, medics frantically began treating her as she was bleeding on the ground. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Steve Wolf, a special effects coordinator and theatrical firearms safety expert, told CNN there were 3 errors committed that resulted in the tragedy -- using a real gun rather than a prop gun, having a live round in the gun and having people stand behind the camera in the "line of fire." He also said the assistant director should not have been the one to clear the gun before the incident  ... that should have been the armorist's job.

Souza told authorities ... there should never have been live rounds near or around the scene that's being rehearsed or shot.

Authorities have obtained a search warrant to seize all camera footage and any other computer data that may have recorded the fatal incident.

The assistant director on the set of "Rust" who told Alec Baldwin the prop gun he was about to fire was safe has allowed an unsafe working environment on previous productions ... this according to someone who worked with him on a previous production.

Propmaker Maggie Goll worked with A.D. Dave Halls in 2019 on Hulu's "Into the Dark" series. She says, "At first he seemed like an older, affable first [A.D.] with the usual run of idiosyncrasies, but that facade soon disappeared," adding, "He did not maintain a safe working environment."

"He did not maintain a safe working environment," Goll said in a statement to NBC News. "Sets were almost always allowed to become increasingly claustrophobic, no established fire lanes, exits blocked ... safety meetings were nonexistent."

Goll says in one case Halls continued to let cameras roll in the middle of a medical emergency -- when something happened to the pyrotechnician -- and she says that created a dangerous situation.

Perhaps most alarming ... she says Halls didn't hold safety meetings when a gun was used on the set.

Halls is the one who gave Baldwin the prop gun and yelled, "cold gun" ... meaning it had no live rounds. Apparently that was a fatal error.

The smoking gun that claimed the life of Halyna Hutchins might've been more than just an on-set prop -- it was also being fired recreationally, even when cameras weren't rolling.

Multiple sources directly connected to the 'Rust' production tell TMZ ... the same gun Alec Baldwin accidentally fired -- hitting the DP and director -- was being used by crews members off set as well, for what we're told amounted to target practice.

We're told this off-the-clock shooting -- which was allegedly happening away from the movie lot -- was being done with real bullets ... which is how some who worked on the film believe a live round found its way in one of the chambers that day.

Obviously, authorities would want to speak to anyone who had been using the weapon for target practice, and -- more importantly -- to whoever was putting the gun back among others used for filming.

We've reached out to law enforcement to see if that's happened yet.

Hailey Bieber is speaking up on the accidental shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life -- meanwhile ... her own director and husband have something to say as well.

Alec Baldwin's niece shared some somber words on behalf of all affected parties, taking to IG to write ... "Sending all my love to the family of Halyna Hutchins. This is a truly unimaginable and devastating tragedy."

She adds, "My thoughts are also with Joel Souza as he recovers. I am absolutely heartbroken for everyone involved." No explicit mention of Alec -- to whom she has a direct tie -- but it's obvious why Hailey's weighing in ... as this is a family affair.

As Hailey sent her own thoughts ... Joel Souza -- the director of the Baldwin flick, "Rust," who was also injured during the accident -- has broken his silence on the tragedy. He tells Deadline, "I am gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna. She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to be better."

He adds, "My thoughts are with her family at this most difficult time. I am humbled and grateful by the outpouring of affection we have received from our filmmaking community, the people of Santa Fe, and the hundreds of strangers who have reached out. It will surely aid in my recovery." Souza was reportedly released from the hospital Friday with a shoulder injury.

Finally, Hutchins' widowed hubby, Matt, also shared some thoughts publicly for the first time -- writing, "Thank you to Halyna's friends and mentors at AFI for establishing a scholarship to honor her memory and support aspiring female cinematographers."

He continues, "Anyone seeking to honor her memory, please direct your giving to this fund."

Alec had previously said he was in contact with Matt ... and was cooperating with law enforcement to figure out how exactly this might've happened. There are already some clues, however, that have surfaced in a warrant -- which said an assistant director handed Alec the hot gun, thinking it was "cold."

The woman responsible for handling weapons on the set of Alec Baldwin's "Rust" had only recently taken on a gig as a head armorer, and shared she had real doubts about doing the job.

Hannah Reed -- daughter of Hollywood armorer Thell Reed -- appeared on the "Voices of the West" podcast last month to talk about her new experiences in the biz. Reed told the hosts she had just wrapped a western movie with Nic Cage called "The Old Way" ... and it was her first time as head armorer on a movie.

In a now-eerie confession, Reed says of the Cage job, "You know, I was really nervous about it at first, and I almost didn't take the job because I wasn't sure if I was ready ... but, doing it, like, it went really smoothly."

Reed also talked about the guidance she's gotten from her dad -- who has previously worked on "Django: Unchained" "3:10 to Yuma" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" -- as an armorer.

In talking about her training, Reed told the podcast hosts loading blanks in prop guns was "the scariest" thing to her, because she didn't know how to do it ... but it was something her dad had helped her work through.

Of course, there are still a lot of questions surrounding the accident on set ... including whether it was a live round in the gun Baldwin fired or a blank. Indiewire obtained an email sent by the propmasters union which claimed the gun Alec Baldwin fired had a "live single round" which struck 2 crew members.

A source who was working on the film tells us just last weekend there were several issues with blanks being shot when they weren't supposed to ... it's unclear who the head armorer was at that time.

K.C. Chiefs star Frank Clark has been hit with another gun charge ... this stemming from his June arrest where he allegedly drove around with an uzi in his car.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Clark was pulled over in L.A. back on June 20 for a routine traffic violation, when cops say they saw an uzi sticking out of an open duffle bag in his Lambo SUV.

Clark was arrested and booked for illegal possession of a firearm ... and law enforcement sources tell us L.A. prosecutors formally hit him with one count of possession of an assault weapon this week.

Clark is due in court for a hearing on the matter on Jan. 17 ... one week after the Chiefs' season is scheduled to end.

Of course, Clark was already facing a separate gun charge related to another incident in California on March 13.

In that case, cops say they pulled over the 28-year-old and another man for failing to display a front license plate.

Police say during the stop, they noticed a gun in the car ... and after searching the ride, they say they found two loaded firearms, and arrested both men.

Sources close to Clark at the time claimed the guns did NOT belong to the NFL player -- but rather to a member of his security team.

The gun handed to Alec Baldwin before the fatal shooting on the "Rust" movie set was loaded with a live round ... according to a warrant from the ongoing police investigation.

The warrant says an assistant director handed the gun to Alec and told the actor it was safe to use before the deadly incident ... according to the warrant obtained by the Associated Press.

The warrant says the assistant director didn't know the gun was loaded, but it doesn't mention who actually loaded the gun ... which may become the central issue.

Alec's blood-stained costume from the movie has been taken as evidence, as well as the gun that went off, plus other prop guns and ammo being used on set, according to the warrant.

The warrant says Halyna Hutchins was shot in the chest and Joel Souza was wounded as he was standing behind her.

A source working on the movie tells us gun safety has been a consistent issue on set, and just last weekend blank rounds were shot when they weren't supposed to go off.

As we reported ... Alec pulled the trigger on the gun and the accident resulted in the death of 42-year-old cinematographer Hutchins. She was struck and airlifted to a hospital, where she died. Director Souza was also hit, but has reportedly been released from the hospital.

Crew members on the set of "Rust" were quick to dial 911 after a gun accident that left one woman dead, telling operators "we need help immediately."

The caller is the film's script supervisor, and it's clear to hear the panic in her voice when she says 2 people were accidentally shot by a prop gun. The operator asks if a real bullet was fired from the gun, but the caller does not know what shot out.

The newly released call also gives some insight as to how people were shot, telling the dispatch it was during a rehearsal that the gun went off ... she does not know how serious the bleeding on either victim is.

Eventually, a male takes over the call from the film set, and let's the operator know both people are alert and a medic is tending to them ... but clearly, things took a turn for the worse.

As we reported, Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger on the gun, which caused the accident ... 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins died at the hospital after being airlifted and Director Joel Souza was also struck, but was reportedly released from the hospital.

Baldwin released a statement Friday, saying, "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred."

He continued, "I am in touch with with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."

There have not yet been any arrests from the incident, and it continues to be investigated by the local sheriff, district attorney and OHSB.

Alec Baldwin was filming a scene for a movie that required someone to fire a gun loaded with blanks, but when the gun discharged either shrapnel or a bullet hit 2 people on set ... one of whom had to be airlifted to a hospital.

Our sources tell us the incident happened Thursday on location in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Alec is filming a new western he's starring in called "Rust" at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a movie ranch.

We're told Alec was filming the scene when someone pulled the prop gun's trigger. It's unclear if the person who loaded the gun mistakenly placed bullets inside, or if something was lodged in the barrel that hit the director as well as the director of photography.

Our sources say the director was hit in the clavicle, but the DP wasn't so lucky ... she was airlifted and rushed to a hospital. As for Alec, we're told he was not injured.

Earlier Thursday, he posted a pic of himself in character on the set. After the accident, we're told production shut down for the day.

Local sheriff's deputies are on the scene already and they've launched an investigation.

The woman killed on the set of Alec Baldwin's film "Rust" once described herself as a "restless dreamer" and "adrenaline junkie" -- but it was her "brilliant talent" that stuck with those who worked with her.

Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year-old Director of Photography, hailed from Ukraine and grew up as an "army brat" on a Soviet military base "surrounded by reindeer and and nuclear submarines" ... according to her website. She was also named one of American Cinematographer magazine’s “rising stars” in 2019.

Most recently, Halyna worked on the film "Archenemy" as the DP. The project starred Joe Manganiello, who praised her talent in a touching tribute, saying, "... she was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to see what she could pull off next."

Adam Egypt Mortimer, who directed "Archenemy," also paid tribute, calling Halyna a "brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film."

As we reported, Halyna and "Rust" director Joel Souza were both struck -- either by a bullet or shrapnel -- after a serious mishap from a gun fired by Alec Baldwin. Halyna was airlifted to a local hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she died from her injuries. Souza is expected to survive.

Baldwin was spotted shortly after the accident looking distraught ... he had also recently posted a photo from set, which was later deleted.

Halyna leaves behind a husband and a son.

Another shooting went down Tuesday night in Bev Hills -- the latest one to hit the ritzy town this year ... which begs a serious question about violent crime in the 90210.

Beverly Hills PD says it responded to reports of a shooting late Tuesday night, which went down near Italian restaurant Via Alloro ... and left one victim with a gunshot wound to the leg. Cops say the shooting was the result of an attempted armed robbery.

It sounds like the perp(s) left empty-handed and the police are on the hunt ... but remember, something very similar happened a few short months ago at nearby celeb hot spot Il Pastaio, where a handful of men pulled off something similar -- in broad daylight, no less.

We broke the story ... cops ended up arresting 3 alleged gang members in May, whom they say had the audacity to pull an armed robbery in March, in pursuit of a $500k Richard Mille watch a man was wearing -- which they successfully stole, while leaving a woman shot in the leg as they fled. Here, too, somebody was left with a bullet in their lower half.

This is NOT a new phenomenon, BTW -- Bev Hills has long been a place where criminals have tried stealing jewelry off of people's bodies -- especially pricey Rolex watches, and other valuables -- but it now seems to be spinning into a violent endeavor, with guns blazing.

We looked into the crime stats too over the past couple years -- and sure enough, property crime in Beverly Hills is through the roof compared to the rest of L.A. and the rest of the country -- up 108% compared to the national average as recently as 2020, which is nuts.

Prosecutors in the YNW Melly double murder case could help prove their case against the rapper -- that is, if they can get their hands on his saliva and match it to DNA at the scene.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors are asking a Broward County judge to force Melly to submit an oral swab ... because they want to check if his C's, A's, G's and T's match up to DNA samples they found on a key piece of evidence collected during the investigation.

That evidence is a yellow jacket ... which prosecutors say already has DNA that matches Anthony Williams, one of the 2 people killed in the shooting.

Prosecutors claim there are 3 other potential DNA profiles on that jacket ... and seeing as how Melly is one of the people charged with the murders -- prosecutors wanna see if his DNA is also on the jacket.

As we reported, prosecutors allege Melly and his pal, Cortlen Henry, gunned down their buddies, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr., and then hatched an elaborate plan to make it seem the men had died in a drive-by.

A high school football game abruptly ended Friday night after gunfire erupted and 4 people were shot.

Players from Williamson High School were on the field against rival Vigor High School at the Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, when gunfire rang through the stadium, just before 10 PM.

Two of the 4 people shot were minors ... one person is in critical condition.

It's unclear where the shots came from, but it appears the shooter was not on the field or in the stands. As you see from the video, the players dropped to the ground and people in the stands fled ... leaving the stadium in a panic.

The shooter was not apprehended and it's unclear if police have any leads. A witness told cops 2 people and possibly more fled the stadium in a white sedan after the shooting, but it's unclear if they had anything to do with the shooting.