Alec Baldwin to be charged over fatal shooting on Rust film set

Both actor Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the shooting of director of photography Halyna Hutchins on the set of western film Rust in October 2021.

Hutchins was fatally wounded by the prop firearm and the film’s director, Joel Souza, was also wounded. Baldwin was under the impression that the firearm was loaded with blank rounds, but this was not the case. When the gun was fired during a scene, several live rounds were inside. Hutchins was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

As reported by Sky News, New Mexico district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has said the decision is in keeping with her commitment to “pursue justice for all victims.” Rust’s assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

The terms of the charge “include a suspended sentence and six months of probation.” The district attorney added, “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. On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice."

Both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be “charged in the alternative,” which means that a jury won’t just eventually decide if they’re guilty. They will also decide which definition of involuntary manslaughter they are guilty of.

Special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said, “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. It’s that simple. The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state's commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously."

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