Alec Baldwin, the producer and star ofRust, will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the October 2021 on-set death of cinematographerHalyna Hutchins.
On Thursday, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced that Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will both be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. No charges will be filed related to the shooting ofRustdirector Joel Souza, who was injured in the incident. The charges will be formally filed before the end of the month.
Assistant director David Halls signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, according to a press release.
“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,” Carmack-Altwies said in a statement. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
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Reeb added, “If any one of these three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls — had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple. The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on theRustfilm set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”
Alec Baldwin.Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images
“We will fight these charges, and we will win,” added Nikas.
Assistant director Halls' attorney Lisa Torracco, said in a statement, “Mr. Halls accepted a petty misdemeanor charge. Absent no charges at all, this is the best outcome for Mr. Halls and the case. He can now put this matter behind him and allow the focus of this tragedy to be on the shooting victims and changing the industry so this type of accident will never happen again. His charge is a petty misdemeanor. No jail time. Unsupervised probation. $500 fine. Mr. Halls denies handing a firearm to Mr. Baldwin.”
The sheriff’s office handed over their completed investigation report to the DA’s office on Oct. 27. In a statement at the time, a spokesperson said the DA and a “team of investigators and prosecutors will now begin a thorough review of the information and evidence to make a thoughtful, timely decision about whether to bring charges,” perThe New York Times.
A redacted version of the report was released publicly in November, according to local Albuquerque outletKRQE News.
Alec Baldwin; Halyna Hutchins.Rachel Luna/WireImage; Mat Hayward/Getty/AMC Networks
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Matthew, who shares son Andros with Hutchins, said in a statement at the time, “I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”
In December, Baldwin’s wifeHilaria BaldwintoldExtrathat the October 2021 incidentweighs heavy on their family.
“I worry about him,” she said. “… I mean, can you imagine? Nobody can. There was so much confusion to understand what had happened.”
“When you go through something hard, you know not every day is going to be the same,” continued Hilaria. “You have moments in the day that are very hard. Nights are hard. Nightmares are hard. So I’m just there, and I say, ‘I’m here and I’m going to take care of you,’ and I said that from the moment we realized what had happened.”
She added, “We’re not okay. We can’t be okay. No one is okay. It was, and is, a tragedy that nobody could ever have imagined. I mean, the loss of her, Halyna. Her son, a little son, her family, her co-workers, the people who loved her, her fans. I mean, she was an incredible, incredible woman in so many different ways.”
source: people.com
