Alec Baldwin and gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are charged with manslaughter, more than a year after the accidental shooting that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico.
American actor Alec Baldwin, author of a fatal shooting on the set of the 2021 film Rust, will be charged with manslaughter, a prosecutor said Thursday. The film’s shooter, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who handled the gun, faces the same charges, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement.
On Oct. 21, 2021, that New Mexico ranch shooting had turned tragic when Alec Baldwin activated a gun that was supposed to contain only blanks, but whose very real projectile killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
“After carefully reviewing the evidence and New Mexico law, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew,” said Mary Carmack-Altwies.
“Under my supervision, no one is above the law and everyone deserves justice,” she added. The actor’s attorney, Luke Nikas, immediately denounced a “horrific miscarriage of justice.”
“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was live ammunition in the gun or anywhere else at the shooting site,” he said.
Up to 18 months imprisonment
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 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 64-year-old actor, best known for the 30 Rock series, also claimed he didn’t pull the trigger, a claim that has been questioned by experts.
Last August, he said he expected no one to be charged and told CNN he had hired a private investigator to establish responsibilities in the case.
sprawling affair
In particular, the police investigation focused on finding out how live ammunition could be found on the theoretically strictly forbidden set, precisely to avoid accidents. Officials concluded that shooting gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had put the ammunition in the gun used by Alec Baldwin instead of a dummy bullet.
Additionally, Sky News reported in November that a civil lawsuit brought by Mamie Mitchell, who is responsible for the smooth running of filming, is being filed against Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez Reed and David Halls, the assistant director who handed the gun to the film actor.
Alec Baldwin was also the subject of civil lawsuits filed by Halyna Hutchins’ family. A deal, the amount of which was not disclosed, was announced in October. Filming is slated to continue later this year.