Alec Baldwin formally charged over fatal ‘Rust’ shooting
Actor Alec Baldwin and on-set weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter following the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of Western movie “Rust” in 2021, court documents filed by prosecutors showed on Tuesday.
The filing comes nearly two weeks after Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies first announced that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed would be prosecuted for what authorities said was a pattern of negligence relating to the death of Halyna Hutchins.
“Today we have taken another important step in securing justice for Halyna Hutchins,” Carmack-Altwies said Tuesday. “In New Mexico, no one is above the law and justice will be served.”
The death of Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico movie set has been described as a “tragic accident” by Baldwin.
What happened on the “Rust” set?
The Hollywood actor was handling a vintage Colt .45 revolver when a lead projectile was discharged and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Souza was standing behind Hutchins at the time.
According to a written affidavit contained in court records, Baldwin was informed by assistant director David Halls that the weapon was “cold” indicating it was safe and not loaded with live ammunition. The gun was grabbed from a cart used by the set’s armorer, Gutierrez-Reed.
Baldwin also disputes having pulled the trigger of the gun in the affidavit, saying he pulled back and released the hammer and the weapon fired.
And what are the defense lawyers saying?
Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas has vowed to beat the charge, which he called a “terrible miscarriage of justice,” adding his client “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.”
Lawyers for Gutierrez-Reed said Tuesday that prosecutors had “completely misunderstood the facts” and had “reached the wrong conclusions.”
“We will fight these charges and expect that a jury will find Hannah not guilty,” said Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion.
What happens next?
Baldwin, a co-producer of the movie, and Gutierrez-Reed have both been charged with two alternative counts of manslaughter, each involving different levels of negligence.
Both counts entail a maximum 18-month jail term, but one of them includes an added mandatory five-year sentence because a gun was involved.
New Mexico prosecutors will summon the accused to appear in court within a month.
Questions over film set safety after shooting
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jsi/msh (AP, Reuters, AFP)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/alec-baldwin-formally-charged-over-fatal-rust-shooting/a-64571743?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf