A New Mexico prosecutor has formally chosen to prosecute Alec Baldwin with a major crime, more than a year after the deadly “Rust” shooting.
Baldwin was at the center of a terrifying occurrence that happened in October 2021 while “Rust” was being filmed. The director Joel Souza and the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were both hit by a handgun that was fired by Baldwin, according to court documents, according to The New York Times. Hutchins and Souza both sustained gunshot wounds to the chest. Souza made a full recovery from her gunshot wound, but Hutchins tragically passed away from her wounds. After the shooting, it was unclear who was to blame or whether the proper safety precautions were in place to avoid a similar disaster.
Baldwin has consistently insisted that he is innocent and has instead blamed Hannah Gutierrez Reed and Dave Halls, the movie’s associate director and armorer/props assistant, according to CNN. Baldwin met down with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos two months after the shooting to talk about the mishap and reject blame. He stated: “Someone loaded a rifle with a live round. Unauthorized presence of a live bullet on the property. I’m unable to identify the person(s) accountable for what occurred, but I’m certain it’s not me.” Baldwin and a few other crew members may have been charged with a crime since they used the weapon. A New Mexico prosecutor made intentions to charge Baldwin in the case after an inquiry that lasted a year came to an end.
Alec Baldwin has been charged for his involvement in the “Rust” shooting, therefore his legal fate in the tragic event is now known. According to Sky News, First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies stated that her pursuit of justice for all victims was the driving force for her decision to charge both Baldwin and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed with involuntary manslaughter.
Carmack-Altweis told ABC News in October that she would be in charge of doing a “thorough examination of the facts and evidence to make a deliberate, timely decision about whether to pursue charges.” According to Variety, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office carried out a thorough investigation into the incident to decide whether Baldwin and his other crew members should be charged. Prosecutors’ decision was influenced by phone records and a forensic examination of the weapon. According to the investigation, Gutierrez Reed loaded the rifle with live ammunition. Every aspect of the investigation’s findings influenced whether Baldwin would face charges.
According to NBC News, Dave Halls, who participated in the fatal shot, intends to enter a guilty plea to negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Alec Baldwin is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter, but it’s unclear what will happen to him. According to ABC News, Mary Carmack-Altwies, the Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney, has until the end of January to legally charge Baldwin. Following that, a preliminary hearing will decide if his case will be tried and which of two manslaughter theories best applies to Baldwin’s situation. According to the Los Angeles Times, if jurors decide that Baldwin handled the gun “without appropriate prudence and circumspection,” he could spend up to 18 months in jail. According to NPR, the penalty also includes a $5,000 fee.
Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, criticized the choice in a statement to People in light of the allegations.
Nikas stated that the ruling “distorts the tragic loss of Halyna Hutchins and marks a horrific miscarriage of justice.”
“There was no reason for Mr. Baldwin to think the rifle or the film set contained a live bullet. He trusted the experts with whom he worked when they assured him that the rifle was empty of live ammunition.” Nikas expressed optimism when he put a cap on his remarks. “We’ll fight these accusations, and we’ll prevail.”
Following the passing of Haylna Hutchins in October 2021, production on “Rust” immediately ceased filming, according to Deadline.
The statement from the movie’s publicist read, “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely grieved by today’s tragedy, and we express our sincere condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. “We have temporarily paused filming on the project and are fully assisting the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation,” the statement reads.
Variety reported one year later that “Rust” was preparing to begin filming once more in January 2023, despite the fact that its original setting of New Mexico was no longer an option. Having said that, it’s impossible to predict how the movie will perform given Baldwin’s accusations. According to Insider, Baldwin would indeed complete the movie in October 2022. However, Baldwin’s new charges make it unclear how or when he—the movie’s producer as well as its star—will be allowed to return to the production, particularly if he ends up going to jail.
There is no set date for the release of “Rust” at this time.
