Baldwin, others charged in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting
NEW YORK: A New Mexico prosecutor on Thursday charged actor Alec Baldwin and others in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of Western “Rust.”
District Atorney Mary Carmack-altwies announced involuntary manslaughter charges against the “30 Rock” actor and the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed ater more than a year of investigation into the October 2021 shooting on a film set outside Santa Fe.
Assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, the prosecutor said in a statement.
Baldwin atorneys Aaron Dyer and Luke Nikas
did not immediately respond to voicemails requesting comment.
“Ater a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew,” Carmack-altwies said. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Hutchins was killed when a revolver Baldwin was rehearsing with during filming in New Mexico fired a live round that hit her and movie director Joel Souza, who survived.
Prosecutors must prove in court that on-set firearm safety began with Gutierrez Reed, who was in charge of all weapons on the production; applied to Halls, who checked the weapon and handed it to Baldwin, then extended to the actor.
Involuntary manslaughter is considered an unintentional killing and carries a penalty of up to 18 months in prison in New Mexico and a $5,000 fine.
Baldwin has denied responsibility for Hutchins’ death and said live rounds should never have been allowed onto the set of the low-budget movie. Baldwin said he was told the gun was “cold,” an industry term meaning it is safe to use.
In a 2021 television interview, the actor told ABC News he did not pull the trigger of the replica Pieta .45-caliber long Colt revolver and it fired ater he cocked it while rehearsing camera angles with Hutchins.
An FBI forensic test of the single-action revolver found it “functioned normally” and would not fire without the trigger being pulled.
The investigation into Hutchins’ death focused on how live rounds got onto a movie set and how they were loaded into a firearm.
Carmack-altwies last year hired a special prosecutor and received $318,000 in state funds to pursue what she believed would be highprofile, costly jury trials should charges be filed.