Alec Balwin following the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico ©BelgaImage
The New Mexico state prosecutor’s office is to prosecute actor Alec Baldwin for the fatal shooting on the set of ‘Rust’. This was announced by the authorities on Thursday.
An official accusation “by the end of the month”
Two counts of manslaughter will be filed against Baldwin. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s gun control officer, faces the same charges. “After a thorough review of the evidence and laws of the State of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to bring charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the film crew of Rust.“said Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.”No one is above the law and everyone deserves justice“. The charges will be officially filed “by the end of the month“, she said. The actor could face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
“An actor doesn’t get a free pass just because he’s an actor,” Mary Carmack-Altwies, First Judicial District Attorney in New Mexico, tells CNN about the decision to charge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death on the set of the movie Rust.
— Kara Scannell (@KaraScannell) January 19, 2023
Cameraman Halyna Hutchins was killed in the incident on the set of the western “Rust” in October 2021. Baldwin was practicing with a revolver, which should have been unloaded. The gun fired anyway and Hutchins was fatally shot in the chest. Director Joel Souza was also injured, but survived the shooting. The 64-year-old actor claims he didn’t know the gun was loaded.
Read: Accidental shooting: Alec Baldwin speaks out for the first time since the drama
Assistant director David Halls had already signed a plea for careless use of a deadly weapon. An out-of-court settlement had already been reached in a civil case brought by Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Baldwin announced in October.