- composition
- BBC News World
January 19, 2023 at 4:34 p.m. GMT
3 hours updated
Image copyrightGetty Images
Actor Alec Baldwin has been charged with manslaughter by manslaughter for shooting and shooting camerawoman Halyna Hutchins, US authorities said on Thursday.
Hutchins, who was 42, died of a shot of Baldwin on the film set with a propeller gun in October 2021.
The actor was rehearsing a scene for the film Rust when the accident happened at a ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Image copyrightReuters
caption,
The ranch where the fatal accident occurred.
Baldwin is known for his roles in films such as Glengarry Glen Ross (The Price of Ambition) and The Hunt For Red October (The Hunt for Red October), as well as for his subsequent portrayal of Donald Trump on the American program Saturday Night Live.
Two defendants and two defendants
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the guns on set, is also charged with manslaughter.
Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement that charges would be filed will be presented at the end of the month.
“Actor/producer Alec Baldwin and gunsmith Hannah Gutiérrez-Reed each face two counts of involuntary manslaughter,” the text reads.
“After a thorough review of the evidence, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence.
“In my care, no one is above the law and everyone deserves justice,” he adds.
Both could turn themselves in up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine if they are found guilty.
According to prosecutors, they will be judged by a popular jury.
Image copyrightGetty Images
caption,
Baldwin at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Awards Gala in New York last December.
A “judiciary error”, according to his lawyer
Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, called it “A Terrible Miscarriage of Justice” the decision to bring charges against your client.
“Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun or in any part of the film set,” he said.
He argued that the actor “trusted the professionals he worked with, who assured him the gun didn’t have real bullets.”
“We will refute these allegations and we will win,” he said.
The gunsmith’s attorney, Todd Bullion, believed that the allegation was the result of a “very flawed investigation and an inaccurate understanding of the facts”.
“Hannah is and always has been heartbroken and saddened by this tragic accident,” but she “did not commit manslaughter,” he claimed.
a tragic accident
Baldwin is believed to have fired while removing the gun from a holster during rehearsals for a later scene.
According to court records, the film’s assistant director, Dave Halls, handed the gun to Baldwin and stated that it had been fired, shouting “cold gun.”
Hutchins was airlifted to the hospital after being shot, but died from her injuries.
Image copyrightGetty Images
caption,
Halyna Hutchins, the camerawoman who died in the incident.
Film director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident, although prosecutors have said no charges are being filed in this connection.
After the shooting, Baldwin claimed that the gun misfired. He added that he didn’t pull the trigger and stuff I didn’t know the gun was loaded.
“I don’t know what happened on that set. I don’t know how that bullet got to that gun. I don’t know,” he explained in December 2021.
Neither Baldwin nor Gutierrez-Reed have commented on the allegations.
An agreement with the victim’s family
In October 2022, Baldwin and the film’s production company settled with the victim’s family for an undisclosed amount.
The settlement came after the cinematographer’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, filed a wrongful death lawsuit over alleged violations of film industry standards.
“We all believe that Halyna’s death was a horrific accident,” her husband said in a statement at the time, saying he had no interest in seeking “reproach or blame.”
Production on the film was set to resume later that year, with Matthew Hutchins serving as executive producer.
Remember that you can receive notifications from BBC Mundo. Download and activate the new version of our app so you don’t miss our best content.