Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are being charged with involuntary manslaughter for the accidental death of cinematographer Halyan Hutchins on the set of the film ‘Rust’.
According to prosecuters, if found guilty, Baldwin and Reed would face up to 18 months in prison and a $5000 fine.
New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has said that the decision to charge Baldwin was made after doing a thorough review of the evidence and laws. Stating that no one is above the law, she said, “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.”
Baldwin’s lawyers have responded by pointing out the charge was ” terrible miscarriage of justice” as the actor had relied on professionals on set to assure him he can pull the trigger
“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set,” he said.
“He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win,” the actor’s lawyers said.
Baldwin was handed the gun by Assistant-Director Dave Halls, who told him that it was cold- which means a weapon is safe to use. Baldwin then pointed the gun at Hutchins and pulled the trigger, hitting the cinematographer in the chest. She died of her wounds in the hospital. The incident sent shock waves around Hollywood and called for better safety protocols on film sets.
In his first sit down interview with ABC, the ‘Beetlejuice’ actor released details of how the accident happened when Hutchins was guiding Baldwin on how to hold the gun for a certain angle in a film scene:
“So then I said to her ‘Now in this scene, I’m going to cock the gun.’ I said, ‘Do you want to see that?’ And she said, ‘Yes.’ So I take the gun, and I start to cock the gun. I’m not going to pull the trigger,” Baldwin told Geroge Stephanopoulos. “I said, ‘Do you see the shot? ‘Well just cheat it down and tilt it down a little bit like that.’ And I cock the gun and I go ‘Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?’ And she says — and I let go of the hammer of the gun and the gun goes off.”
Tag: Gun Fire
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Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter in ‘Rust’ film shooting
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American actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shoots woman on movie set
American actor Alec Baldwin accidentally fired a prop gun on a New Mexico film set, a woman has died and a man has been injured.
As per details, the woman, Halyna Hutchins, was flown to hospital by helicopter but died of her injuries. The man, director Joel Souza, was receiving emergency care.
A spokesperson for Baldwin told AP news agency the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks.
Hutchins, 42, was working on the set as director of photography. Souza, 48, was taken from the scene by ambulance, but details of his injuries have not been disclosed.
Police are still investigating the incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular filming location, and no charges have been filed.
In a statement to AFP news agency, a Santa Fe sheriff spokesman said Mr Baldwin had spoken to detectives.
“He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews,” the spokesman said.
According to her personal website, Hutchins was from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle. She studied journalism in Kyiv, and film in Los Angeles, and was named a “rising star” by the American Cinematographer magazine in 2019.
She was the director of photography for the 2020 action film Archenemy, directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer.
“I’m so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set,” Mortimer said in a tweet.