AceShowbiz - The armorer at the centre of the deadly shooting accident on Alec Baldwin's new western "Rust" has no idea how live rounds came to be on set.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed when Baldwin fired what he was reportedly told was a "cold" unloaded gun during a rehearsal for a scene last week (21Oct21) and, during their investigation, Santa Fe, New Mexico police officials have uncovered 500 rounds of ammunition - a mix of blanks and live bullets.

Meanwhile, set sources claim crew members enjoyed target practice with live rounds in between scenes on "Rust".

But Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence, lawyers for armorer Hannah Gutierrez, insist their client can't imagine how live rounds made their way onto a film set.

"Safety is Hannah's number one priority on set," a statement reads. "Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from."

"Hannah was hired on two positions on this film, which made it extremely difficult to focus on her job as an armorer. She fought for training days to maintain weapons and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department."

In an affidavit earlier this week, "Rust" assistant director David Halls admitted he didn't properly check the gun that Baldwin fired, but Gutierrez insists she checked and made sure there were not "hot rounds" in the weapon.