ALEC Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deadly 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while on the set of the Western film Rust.
The Beetlejuice actor and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the since-halted Netflix film, were officially charged by the New Mexico District Attorney’s office on Tuesday.
5Actor Alec Baldwin was officially charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter on TuesdayCredit: Reuters
5Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was struck by a live round while rehearsing a scene with Alec BaldwinCredit: Reuters
5An aerial shot of Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, NM, where the film was being filmedCredit: APBaldwin is facing up to 18 months in prison if convicted.
The charges also include a provision that could result in a mandatory five years in jail because the offense was committed with a gun.
The decision to bring up the charges comes nearly 16 months after Baldwin killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza when a loaded prop gun he was holding fired on the set of Rust during a rehearsal in October 2021.
Baldwin, who has long maintained his innocence, plans to fight the charges, calling them a “terrible miscarriage of justice.”
Meanwhile, the film’s assistant director, David Halls, has already pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in a deal with prosecutors.
It was Halls who had handed Baldwin the gun in the final moments of Hutchins’ life, declaring it “cold” – or unloaded – before the fateful shot was fired, according to court documents.
The deal includes a suspended sentence and six months of probation.
Hilaria Baldwin, the actor’s wife, opened up on her podcast, Witches Anonymous, on her husband’s dilemma for the first time over the weekend, “It’s been an emotional time for my family.”
During the episode, she said she worried about her seven kids and spoke with Dr. Hillary Goldsher, a clinical psychologist who specializes in parenting and “trauma, depression and anxiety.”
“Kids are sponges, and while certain conversations are not always age-appropriate, we cannot deny that they don’t feel the energy and pick up on certain things in the family and at home,” Hilaria said.
“Also, parenting little people can be stressful regardless of added stress.”
5Alec Baldwin was a co-producer of RustCredit: Instagram / Alec Baldwin
5Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughterCredit: InstagramFILM SET HORROR
The low-budget film was in the middle of production when the fatal mishap occurred.
On October 21, 2021, Hutchins was rehearsing a scene with Baldwin in an old wooden church at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a famous movie location near Santa Fe.
Baldwin was handed a loaded prop Colt .45-revolver but was unaware that it contained live ammunition.
He fired the live round striking Hutchins in the chest and wounding director Souza.
Following the incident, a distraught Baldwin was seen sobbing outside a local police station after authorities questioned him.
Baldwin, who was also a co-producer on Rust, has described the killing as a tragic accident.
The 64-year-old actor said he was told the gun was safe and has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded .45-caliber revolver.
Story Credit: thesun.co.uk