American actor Alec Baldwin, author of a fatal shooting on the set of the 2021 film Rust, will be charged with manslaughter, the prosecutor in charge of the case announced on Thursday, January 19. The film’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who handled the gun, is the subject of the same charge and faces 18 months in prison, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement.
On October 21, 2021, this New Mexico ranch shooting turned tragic when Alec Baldwin opened fire with a gun that was meant to contain only blanks, but one of which, very real, took the lives of 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injured director Joel Souza.
“After carefully reviewing the evidence and the laws of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew,” the prosecutor wrote. “Under my supervision, no one is above the law and everyone deserves justice,” she added, explaining that the charges “will be formally filed by the end of the month. The sentence could be increased to a maximum of five years in prison for gross negligence.”
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“Terrible Miscarriage of Justice”
The actor’s lawyer denounced “a terrible miscarriage of justice”. Alec Baldwin, 64, best known for the 30 Rock series, has always said he was assured his gun was harmless. “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was live ammunition in the gun or anywhere else on the range. »
Executive assistant David Halls, who gave him the gun and told him it was harmless, pleaded guilty to negligence in using a deadly weapon. Alec Baldwin also claimed he did not pull the trigger, a claim that experts have questioned.
“If any of those three people – Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls – had done his job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple,” said prosecutor Andrea Reeb, who is in charge of the investigation into the shooting. The evidence shows “a criminal disregard for safety on the set of ‘Rust,'” she said in the statement.
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Then, on CNN, she hit out at the amateurishness of the production and the ease of Mr. Baldwin on set. The actor “didn’t do anything he was supposed to do to make sure he was safe or that anyone around him was safe,” the prosecutor said. “Then he pointed the gun at Halyna Hutchins and pulled the trigger. »
Resumption of filming announced for early 2023
“An actor’s job is not to be an expert on firearms or weapons,” the influential American Actors Union (SAG) countered Thursday, denouncing a “wrong and wrong” decision by prosecutors in a press release. According to the union, the charters in force in the industry place the responsibility for scene shooting on “a qualified gunsmith,” who specifically must “inspect the gun and cylinder before and after each shot” and “inspect all firearms before each use.” .
Specifically, the police investigation determined that the gunfight’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, inserted the ammunition into the gun used by Alec Baldwin in place of a dummy bullet. His lawyers, for their part, denounced “a sloppy investigation and an inaccurate understanding of the facts” by the prosecutor. “We intend to get the truth out and believe that Hannah will be cleared of wrongdoing by a jury. »
In August, Alec Baldwin said he expected no one to be charged and told CNN he had hired a private investigator to establish accountability in the case.
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The tragedy led to a series of civil lawsuits from several team members. In October, the actor announced that he had reached a settlement ending the civil lawsuits filed by Ms Hutchins’ family. Her height was not disclosed. At that time, the resumption of filming on Rust was announced for early 2023. The widower of late cinematographer Matthew Hutchins is set to be promoted to executive producer on the film.
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