The actor has now been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter over the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Photo / AP
The actor has now been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter over the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Photo / AP
Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set, according to court documents filed by prosecutors Tuesday.
Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed the charging documents naming Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western, Rust.
In documents obtained by New Mexico’s KRQE News, the probable cause statement filed against Baldwin alleges, “On the day of the shooting alone, evidence shows that no less than a dozen acts, or omissions of recklessness, occurred in the short time prior to lunch and the time of the shooting, and this does not include the reckless handling of the firearm by Baldwin,”
Adding, “By act or omission or failure to act in his position as a producer directly contributed and/or failed to mitigate numerous reckless and dangerous actions during a very short time period.”
The set of Rust after a fatal shooting on set. Photo / Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office via The New York Times
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges.
Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.
Prosecutors have said that Baldwin’s involvement as a producer and as the person who fired the gun weighed in the decision to file charges.
A message requesting comment from Baldwin’s attorney was not immediately returned.
New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator determined the shooting on the Rust set was an accident. Photo / AP
Hutchins’ death already has led to new safety precautions in the film industry.
The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster The Hunt for Red October and a starring role in the sitcom 30 Rock, as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s Glengary Glen Ross. In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.
Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press in a January 19 interview that the set was “really being run pretty fast and loose” and that Baldwin should have known there had been previous misfires on the set and that multiple people had brought up safety concerns.
She added that Baldwin was the one who pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. It could take up to 60 days for a decision.
Involuntary manslaughter can involve a killing that happens while a defendant is doing something that is lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution.
