Serious allegations against a Hollywood star and a young gunsmith: Alec Baldwin (64) and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed must face a court of involuntary manslaughter after fatally shooting a camerawoman during a western shoot. New Mexico state prosecutors have filed charges against the two. The agency officially filed the lawsuit in Santa Fe court on Tuesday.
If found guilty with aggravating circumstances, both could face up to five years in prison. Camerawoman Halyna Hutchins was fatally injured while filming the Western “Rust” on a Santa Fe ranch in October 2021. Baldwin, who served as the film’s lead actor and producer, was holding a gun rehearsing for a scene when a shot went off. . Director Joel Souza was hit in the shoulder by the projectile and injured in the incident. Investigations revealed that the Colt had a real bullet lodged in it. Baldwin and the gunsmith always denied responsibility for the fatal accident.
District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had already announced the appropriate steps for an indictment in mid-January. On Tuesday, she announced the court documents with the serious charges. Baldwin acted in many ways “extremely” negligent. As an actor and producer of the film, he violated numerous safety regulations.
He is alleged to have completed only minimal weapons training. Against the guidelines, he pointed the gun at people. The prosecution also disputes Baldwin’s claim that the shot went off without him doing so. The investigation would have shown that he had his finger on the trigger and handled the gun.
Safety Precautions Ignored
With Gutierrez-Reed, the producers of “Rust” would have hired an inexperienced and unskilled gunsmith. The young woman allegedly disregarded many safety precautions, for example, she was not in the same room as Baldwin at the scene of the shooting. Despite her oversight, live ammunition entered the set. Investigators found five real shell casings at the filming location, as well as the shell of the deadly bullet, she said.
The two defendants must now appear before the magistrate within 30 days, but this is also possible by videoconference.
Baldwin will defend himself against the allegations, his lawyer Luke Nikas said in mid-January. Baldwin had no way of knowing that there was live ammunition in the gun or anywhere on the set. He trusted the team, who assured him there was no live ammunition in the weapon, Nikas said in a statement. “We will defend ourselves against these accusations and we will win.”
Assistant director David Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin on the movie set, pleaded guilty to negligent handling of a weapon, prosecutors say. He could get away with a suspended sentence after the judge’s approval, he said.
Halyna Hutchins is survived by a husband and one child. A civil lawsuit filed by Matthew Hutchins, the camerawoman’s widower, against Baldwin and others involved in the production of “Rust” was settled out of court last October. His death was a “terrible accident”, emphasized the widower at the time. They also announced plans to continue filming the stalled “Rust” in recognition of the director of photography’s recent work. This now seems questionable. The family announced nearly two weeks ago that they would fully support the involuntary manslaughter charge and cooperate with the DA’s office. (apa/dpa)