In 2021, actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. Director Joel Souza was also injured by the firearm. Now it’s been revealed by authorities whether or not charges will be pressed regarding the Alec Baldwin shooting.
Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the handling of the gun that fired on the set of Rust that ended up killing the film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Here’s the decision made by Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb via NY Times:
Prosecutors said they would charge Mr. Baldwin with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, saying that he had a duty to ensure the gun and the ammunition were properly checked and that he should never have pointed it at anyone. “You should not point a gun at someone that you’re not willing to shoot,” the district attorney for Santa Fe County, Mary Carmack-Altwies, said in an interview. “That goes to basic safety standards.”
Alec Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, released the following statement:
“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’s tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”
According to authorities, Rust first assistant director Dave Halls had given Baldwin the gun. Despite having stated “cold gun,” meaning that the weapon was thought to have been empty, a live round was still found in the gun to have killed Hutchins.
Due to the numerous people involved with the incident, it’s become a difficult situation. Alec Baldwin has even sued several crew members from the film to “clear his name.” But now we know whether or not charges will be pressed for the initial Alec Baldwin accident.
They previously released the following statement ahead of the official announcement:
“Regardless of the District Attorney’s decision, the announcement will be a solemn occasion,” the two began, “made in a manner keeping with the office’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the judicial process and respecting the victim’s family,” read their statement posted on Wednesday.
This has certainly been quite the case to follow. In addition to this new announcement, and Alec Baldwin’s decision to have crew members from the film sued, there have even been FBI investigations on the film set suggesting other details. As a result, there now exists a surprising amount of conflicting information and allegations from all sides.
As such, we’ll just have to see how this situation continues to develop. For now, it’s clear that the Rust incident is far from over. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates on this case as we have them.