American actor Alec Baldwin, author of a fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust in 2021, will be charged with manslaughter, a prosecutor announced Thursday. The gunwoman in the film, who handled the weapon, is the subject of the same charge, said Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies. On October 21, 2021, this filming had turned tragic when Alec Baldwin had activated a weapon supposed to contain only blank bullets, but whose very real projectile had killed the director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured the director Joel Souza.
This rare news item had shocked Hollywood and had a strong impact, triggering calls to ban firearms on the sets. “After careful review of the evidence and the laws of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the film crew of Rust, said Mary Carmack-Altwies. “Under my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice,” she added. The charges will be formally filed “by the end of the month”, said the prosecutor. If convicted, Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed risk up to 18 months in prison.
Live ammunition
Alec Baldwin, 64, best known for the series 30Rock, always said that he had been assured that his weapon was harmless. Executive assistant David Halls, who had given him the weapon informing him that it was not dangerous, pleaded guilty to negligence while using a deadly weapon. The star also maintained that he did not pull the trigger, a claim questioned by experts. The police investigation focused in particular on determining how live ammunition could have been found on the set, which is in theory strictly prohibited, precisely to avoid accidents.
Officers concluded that the shooting gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, put the ammunition in the gun used by Alec Baldwin, instead of a dummy bullet. In August, the actor said he expected no one to be charged, telling CNN he had hired a private detective to establish responsibilities in the case. The tragedy gave rise to a flurry of civil lawsuits from several members of the team.
In October, Alec Baldwin announced that he had reached an agreement ending the civil lawsuits brought by the family of Halyna Hutchins. Its amount was not disclosed. At the time, the resumption of filming of “Rust” was also announced for 2023.