Actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with manslaughter for handling a discharged gun on the set of “Rust,” killing the film’s cinematographer, as well as the film’s armorer, who loaded the gun, New Mexico prosecutors announced Thursday.
Prosecutors said they would charge Baldwin with two counts of manslaughter, saying it was his duty to make sure guns and ammunition were properly checked and that he could never point a gun at anyone. “You shouldn’t point a gun at someone you’re not willing to shoot,” Santa Fe district attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, said in an interview. “That comes down to basic safety standards.”
The criminal charges are a remarkable development in the career of Mr. Baldwin, 64, who has become a household name for decades – a leading man in films hold the Oscars ceremony and played Jack Donaghy in “30 Rock” and played former President Donald J. Trump in “Saturday Night Live.”
Baldwin, who is both a producer and lead actor on “Rust,” has long denied responsibility for the shooting, noting that he has been told that the weapon he was rehearsing did not contain ammunition. real and he has no duty to check. “Someone has to be responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who it was, but I know it wasn’t me,” said Mr. Baldwin. said in a television interview last year. He also said he simply followed instructions on where to point the gun when it exploded, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
In a statement on Thursday, Mr Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, said: “This decision distorts the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins and represents a gruesome trial. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on set. He relies on experts he works with, who assure him the gun has no live ammunition. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the firearms builder responsible for the weapon on set and loading the gun that day, will also be charged with two counts of manslaughter. One of her attorneys, Jason Bowles, said his client was not responsible for the manslaughter charge, calling the investigation into the case “flawed”.
In exchange for a suspended sentence, the film’s first assistant director, Dave Halls, who gave the gun to Mr Baldwin, agreed to a plea agreement, admitting there was enough evidence to convict him. on charges of negligent use of a deadly weapon. Mr Halls’ attorney, Lisa Torraco, said in a statement that “he can now put this matter aside and allow the focus of this tragedy to focus on the shooting victims, their families, and their families.” them and change the industry so that this kind of accident will never happen again.”
Prosecutors said they had determined that it was important for actors to ensure that the guns they used on set were safe for them to use, adding that they had interviewed several actors about the importance of those processes. Mr. Baldwin dismissed that idea, saying that in his experience on set, actors shouldn’t be testing their own guns.
Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor for the case, said Gutierrez-Reed was also responsible for ensuring that the guns on set did not contain live ammunition, saying she should have taken each bullet out of the gun and Shake them in front of you. actors — a method that helps confirm the bullets are dummy, inert cartridges used to resemble real bullets in the movie.
“We are trying to make it clear that everyone is equal before the law, including A-list actors like Alec Baldwin,” Ms. Reeb said. “And we also want to make sure that the safety of the film industry is addressed and that things like this don’t happen again.”
If found guilty of more serious manslaughter, including upgrading a weapon, Mr. Baldwin and Ms. Gutierrez-Reed would face mandatory five years in prison. Another count of manslaughter carries a sentence of up to 18 months.
The decision to bring criminal charges came 15 months after the deadly shooting on October 21, 2021, when Mr. Baldwin was drawing an old-fashioned revolver for a close-up. Prosecutors have been waiting a final report from the sheriff’s officedelivered in October.
Following the shooting, authorities found five more live rounds on the set, including on the top of the trolley, where the props were stored, and in a belt that Mr. Baldwin was wearing as a costume. . Santa Fe . County Sheriff’s Office Investigation did not answer an important question of the case: how real bullets end up on a movie.
Ms. Reeb, the special counsel, said that aspect of the case remains unclear. “We may never answer that question,” she said.
The investigation focused on the people who supplied and handled the guns and ammunition for the film, some of whom pointed the finger at their colleagues in statements to reporters or interviews with reporters. investigator.
Tragedy was lead to a number of lawsuitsincluding from crew members who have accused of production Failure to properly follow safety protocols.
In interviews with the sheriff’s office, several crew members described the lack of consistent meetings devoted to safety on set. On the night before shooting, most of the crew members quit their jobs because of complaints about overnight accommodation and other worries; In an email to others on set to inform them he was leaving, Lane Luper, head of cinematography, wrote that the shooting of the gunfights was done “very quickly and loosely. “, quoting twice accidentally discharging a weapon.
Mr Baldwin insisted he was not responsible for the shooting, saying Ms Hutchins had instructed him how to point the gun and that he had not pulled the trigger before the gun fired. He told investigators he pulled the hammer back and let it go in an act that may have triggered it.
“I know 1,000% that I am not responsible for what happened to her,” Mr Baldwin told the investigator, Detective Alexandria Hancock, in a phone call after the shooting.
Carmack-Altwies said the FBI’s analysis of the gun showed “with certainty” that the trigger was pulled.
Prosecutors have said the people they plan to charge this month will not be arrested but will have to appear in virtual court. A judge in New Mexico will then oversee the preliminary hearing on the charges and determine if there is any possible reason to continue.
An attorney for Ms. Gutierrez-Reed, 25, who trained on set with her father, a veteran Hollywood armor maker named Thell Reed, has previously said she has taken on two roles. on the set of “Rust” — as an armor maker and props assistant — making it difficult for her to fully focus on her job as a weapon maker.
Ms. Gutierrez-Reed has also accused Seth Kenney, the main supplier of guns and ammunition, of being responsible for the shootings, allegation in a lawsuit against him and his company that the supplies he sent to the set mixed real ammunition with fake ammunition – inert cartridges were used on set to resemble real ammunition. She said in an interview with investigators that she checked the gun and all six cartridges she loaded into Mr. Baldwin’s gun that day, but she also told investigators. investigator said, “I wish I had checked more closely.”
Mr. Kenney said he checked all ammunition he supplied for production to make sure they were not alive, adding in a statement that the handling of guns and ammunition on set was his responsibility. responsibility of Ms. Gutierrez-Reed.
An attorney for Mr. Halls, 63 – the first assistant director who said the gun “cooled” on set that day, according to court documents – had previously said it was It’s not his responsibility to ensure that the gun is safe to handle.
Last year, Matthew Hutchins, the widow of Miss Hutchins, agreed to settle his wrongful death lawsuit against the production of “Rust”. Under the deal, Mr. Hutchins will become executive producer of “Rust,” which was set to resume shooting this month. It is unclear how the planned charges will affect those plans.
Mr. Hutchins’ attorney, Brian J. Panish, said in a statement that he agreed with the decision to criminally prosecute.
“It is comforting to the family that in New Mexico, no one is above the law,” Mr. Panish said. “We support the charges, will cooperate fully with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold those who break the law accountable.”
