Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film “Rust.”
The Santa Fe County District Attorney has identified several safety violations that she believes can be attributed to Baldwin, including a lack of firearms training and failure to secure the presence of an armorer to check the safety of the weapon used in the incident.
The DA also highlights Baldwin’s statement in TV interviews denying involvement in firing the weapon, which contradicts the evidence in multiple photos and videos.
Baldwin’s role as the film’s producer and previous experience on film sets with firearms is also noted as factors in the safety violations.
Additionally, head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, and assistant director Dave Halls has agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon.
The evidence collected by the FBI was found to support the DA’s allegations of criminal disregard for safety on the set. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed face up to five years in prison if convicted.
Alec Baldwin denies any wrongdoing and claims he was following instructions during a rehearsal scene. The Hutchins family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved in the production, which was later settled with the widower, Matthew Hutchins, becoming an executive producer on the film.
Baldwin has filed a counter-lawsuit against four crew members for failing to provide adequate safety on the set.
