Alec Baldwin officially charged with fatal shooting — RT Games & Culture

New Mexico prosecutors have charged Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin with two counts of manslaughter in the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his western movie “Rust.”

The charges were formally filed Tuesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, charging both Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who worked as a gunsmith supplying the guns used on set. Hutchins was shot when Baldwin fired an 1880s .45 caliber revolver, allegedly after learning the gun was “cold,” meaning it was not loaded with real bullets.

In his roles as star and producer of the film, Baldwin failed to “mitigating many reckless and dangerous” actions on the set “Rust”, according to prosecutors. “On the day of the shooting, the evidence shows that at least a dozen reckless acts or omissions occurred in the short period of time before lunch and the time of the shooting, and this did not does not include reckless handling of a firearm by Baldwin.

The actor reportedly rehearsed for a scene when he pointed the gun at the camera, which Hutchins was using. The bullet killed Hutchins and injured the film’s director, Joel Souza. A lawyer for Baldwin, who is also facing civil lawsuits over the shooting, has called the indictment “a terrible miscarriage of justice” add, “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on set.

Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced plans to indict Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed earlier this month. An investigation into the shooting found sufficient evidence to support manslaughter charges, the district attorney said. “Under my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”

David Halls, assistant manager of “Rust”, agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge for his handling of the loaded revolver. He handed the gun to Baldwin, while Gutierrez-Reed was in charge of the weapons on set.

“If any of these three people – Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls – had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today,” said Reeb, the special prosecutor. “It’s so simple.”

Filming of “Rust,” which had been suspended since Hutchins’ death, was scheduled to resume this month, with Baldwin still playing the lead role and Souza still directing.

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