Alec Baldwin and other crew members of the Western film “Rust” have been charged by New Mexico prosecutors for their involvement in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
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New Mexico District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced involuntary manslaughter charges against the famed actor and the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed after a year-long investigation into the October 2021 shooting on set that resulted in the death of Halyna Hutchins.
Prosecutors noted that Assistant director David Halls also signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
“After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew,” Carmack-Altwies stated. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Hutchins was killed during a rehearsal when a revolver Baldwin was using fired a live round that struck both her and movie director Joel Souza, who survived his injuries.
Because involuntary manslaughter is considered an unintentional killing, Baldwin faces a penalty of up to 18 months in prison in New Mexico and a $5,000 fine.
Baldwin has publicly denied responsibility for Hutchins’ death and said live rounds should never have been allowed onto the set of the film. Baldwin said he was informed the gun was “cold,” a term meaning it is safe to use.
In a 2021 television interview with ABC News, the “30 Rock” actor claimed he did not pull the trigger of the replica Pietta .45-caliber long Colt revolver and it fired while he cocked it while rehearsing camera angles with Hutchins.
An FBI forensic test of the single-action revolver disputed that claim, finding it “functioned normally” and would not fire without the trigger being pulled.
“If any one of these three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls — had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today,” claimed Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor appointed to the case.
In April of last year, New Mexico’s worker safety agency fined the film’s production company the maximum amount possible, $137,000, for what it characterized as “willful” safety lapses that ultimately led to Hutchin’s death.
The agency’s investigation determined that Rust Move Productions LLC knew firearm safety procedures were not being followed and showed “plain indifference” to the hazards.
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