Getty Hilaria and Alec Baldwin in 2019
New Mexico prosecutors announced on January 19, 2023, that actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 shooting on the set of “Rust,” which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, according to the New York Times.
The movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who oversaw gun safety on the set, will face the same charges, to be formally filed by the end of the month. In addition, the New York Times reported, Dave Halls, the film’s first assistant director who handed Baldwin the gun, plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon in exchange for a suspended sentence and six months of probation.
Here’s what you need to know:
New Mexico District Attorney Says ‘No One Is Above the Law’
GettyA photo of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a memorial table during a candlelight vigil held in her memory in October 2021.
Per Deadline, New Mexico District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies released a statement on January 19, 2023, about the findings of her department’s investigation.
She said, “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. On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
The first charge, per Deadline, is a fourth-degree felony with a possible $5,000 fine and up to 18 months in jail. The second charge, which the outlet said is for “involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act,” is also a fourth-degree felony with the same potential consequences — up to 18 months behind bars and a $5000 fine — but because it involves a firearm, it escalates to a mandatory five years behind bars if Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are found guilty.
In an interview with CNN, Carmack-Altwies said, “This was a really fast and loose set, and … nobody was doing their job.”
She added, “Every person that handles a gun has a duty to make sure that if they’re going to handle that gun, point it at someone and pull the trigger that it is not going to fire a projectile and kill someone.”
Hutchins’ family, including her husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their nine-year-old son, Aldous, heralded the announcement, according to NBC News, which reported that an attorney for the family, Brian Panish, issued a statement thanking authorities for their “thorough investigation and determining that charges for involuntary manslaughter are warranted.”
However, in October 2022, the BBC reported that an undisclosed settlement had been reached in the family’s lawsuit against Baldwin and other “Rust” filmmakers and that Hutchins’ husband would serve as executive producer for the remainder of the movie’s filming. In a statement, he said his involvement would be a way to “pay tribute” to his late wife’s final work, and that he had “no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame.”
“All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident,” he said at the time.
Alec Baldwin’s Attorney Says ‘We Will Fight These Charges & We Will Win’
GettyHilaria Baldwin and Alec Baldwin arrive at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala in December 2022.
Baldwin 64, has maintained his innocence ever since the shooting occurred, per CNN, placing blame on crew members who included a live round in the prop gun, which discharged while he was practicing in between takes on the set.
In a statement provided to NBC News, Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas said the actor maintains his innocence and will fight the charges.
“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice,” Nikas said. “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”
In addition, a defense lawyer for Gutierrez-Reed, Jason Bowles, said his client is also not responsible for Hutchins’ death.
“Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident,” Bowles said in a statement to NBC News. “But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter. These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts. We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”
According to People, an attorney for assistant director Halls, Lisa Torracco, said in a statement that her client won’t face jail time and is putting “the matter behind him.”
“Mr. Halls accepted a petty misdemeanor charge,” the statement read. “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.”