US actor Alec Baldwin is finally facing manslaughter charges for accidentally shooting and shooting a crew member for the film “Rust” in October 2021, a prosecutor said on Thursday.
While rehearsing a scene on the set of this western on a ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the comedian accidentally opened fire on Halyna Hutchins, the film’s 41-year-old cinematographer, mortally wounding her and injuring director Joel Souza. However, the gun should only contain blank cartridges.
The shooter in the film who handled the gun is the subject of the same charges, said Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies. Officers concluded that she had mistakenly put ammunition in the gun used by Alec Baldwin instead of a dummy bullet.
Last August, Jack Ryan’s interpreter said in “In Search of Red October” that he expected no one to be charged in this case. “I sincerely think (…) (that investigators) will say it was an accident,” he told CNN.
“No one is above the law”
“After carefully reviewing the evidence and the laws of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to bring charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew,” Mary Carmack-Altwies said Thursday. “Under my supervision, no one is above the law and everyone deserves justice,” she added.
“This decision distorts the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins and constitutes a horrific miscarriage of justice,” said Luke Nikas, the actor’s attorney. “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was live ammunition in the gun or anywhere else on the range. »
The charges will be “formally filed by the end of the month,” prosecutors said. Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed face up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
Alec Baldwin, 64, best known for 30 Rock, has always said he was assured his gun was harmless. Executive assistant David Halls, who gave him the gun and told him it was harmless, pleaded guilty to negligence in using a deadly weapon. The star also claimed he didn’t pull the trigger, a claim that has been questioned by experts.
“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 as simple as that,” the prosecutor summed up. The evidence shows “a criminal disregard for security on the set of Rust,” she said.
The tragedy led to a series of civil lawsuits from several team members. In early October, the actor, who has starred in many action films, announced that he had reached a settlement with the victim’s family ending the lawsuit brought by Halyna Hutchins’ loved ones against him. Filming on “Rust” was even set to resume this month of January.