Alec Baldwin to be charged in fatal 'Rust' shooting
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • 2 years ago • 112 commentsBy: Rebecca Picciotto,Gabrielle Fonrouge (CNBC)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Published Thu, Jan 19 202311:02 AM ESTUpdated 2 Min Ago WATCH LIVE Key Points
- Alec Baldwin will be charged in the fatal on-set shooting of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
- The actor and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed each face two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
- If convicted, Baldwin and the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, could face five years in prison.
Hilaria Baldwin and Alec Baldwin speak for the first time regarding the accidental shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and wounded director Joel Souza on the set of the film "Rust", on October 30, 2021 in Manchester, Vermont. MEGA | GC Images | Getty Images
Alec Baldwin will be criminally charged by New Mexico prosecutors for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," authorities said Thursday.
Baldwin, the Emmy-winning star of "30 Rock" and dozens of films including "The Hunt for Red October," shot the bullet that killed Hutchins. Baldwin said he "didn't pull the trigger" in an ABC interview. An FBI forensic report obtained by ABC News uncovered that despite Baldwin's denial, the gun could not have gone off without the pull of a trigger.
Baldwin and the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, each will be charged with two counts. One of the counts is for involuntary manslaughter, in which prosecutors will have to prove there is underlying negligence, prosecutors said. This is a fourth-degree felony that carries a sentence of up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
The second charge is involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, a more severe charge which requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death, prosecutors said. This charge includes a firearm enhancement, which adds a mandatory penalty of five years in jail.
"Rust" assistant director David Halls signed a plea deal for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, resulting in a suspended sentence and six months of probation.
"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," Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor on the case, said in a statement Thursday. "The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the 'Rust' film set."
Baldwin's attorney didn't immediately comment.
Through lawyers, relatives of Hutchins thanked authorities for pursuing the charges.
"It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law," attorney Brian Panish said. "We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law."
According to documents obtained by the New York Post in September, the DA's office had been waiting to review evidence from an FBI investigation since October 2021 after the accidental shooting took place. Once the office received the evidence, the DA announced that she intended to pursue charges and filed for $635,500 in emergency funding to hire a specialized team, including a new prosecutor, investigator, and spokesperson, to handle the case. The DA received about half of the requested funds.
Hutchins was shot and killed on Oct. 21, 2021, during a scene where Baldwin used a gun that was filled with live bullet rounds instead of dummies, which is against Hollywood film standards. Joel Souza, the movie's director, was injured by the bullet but later recovered.
Hall, the movie's assistant director, admitted less than a week after the shooting that he had not properly checked the gun for safety before handing it to the film's armorer, Gutierrez Reed who would pass it along to Baldwin for the scene.
Hutchins' death amplified a wave of rallying cries for safer filming protocols on movie sets. Her family ultimately sued Baldwin and the film producers in Feb. 2022 for wrongful death. The lawsuit was settled in October and the movie resumed filming with Matt Hutchins, the widower of Halyna, serving as an executive producer.
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I'm glad charges were finally filed, it took them long enough. The charges don't surprise me but I find it disappointing that David Halls basically threw the others under the bus to make a plea deal for himself. I felt he should have been charged also as he was pushing hard to get things moving, was the one who physically brought the gun to Baldwin and pushed to get the shot done.
It couldn't happen to a better guy!
meh, I could come up with a short list...
Why even have live rounds on a movie set? That's just asking for disaster to strike.
That question has been asked repeated. Apparently some of crew were using it for target practice. Something that professionals say should never be done. The armorer was not qualified for the job and the producers were cutting corners with too small a budget and rushing to get the film done.
There is nothing "accidental". It was pure negligence. Accident infers this could not have been avoided. This was 100% avoidable. All Baldwin had to do was check the weapon before he pointed it at somebody and fired.
He was supposedly only practicing for the shot. He never should have been pointing the gun at anyone for just practice- loaded or not.
Practice or not, he was ultimately responsible for making sure the weapon was safe. He failed to do that and the result is one dead and one injured.
I am in complete agreement.
Instructors have told me repeatedly in firearm safety class is first rule "Assume all guns are loaded." Second rule "Even if you verify a gun is empty never point it at anything you don't want to hit." (The just in case you didn't clear the chamber rule. Happened to the instructor training me after he thought I fired everything. He followed his own rule and the gun was pointed down range as he went to verify it was clear and have me reload it.). His third rule was never have your finger close to the trigger unless you intend to pull it. (He kind of messed that one up on the gun transfer between people).
I was taught the same thing as a kid and it was reinforced during weapons training in the military. It's so easy to do that you would think it's common sense.
This is really nothing more than the left trying to place blame on everybody and everything except one of their own.
The trouble is that New Mexico doesn't require any firearm safety classes in order to have a gun. People aren't born knowing the "first rule" of gun safety much less the second. Let's make sure people can own guns but we'll also oppose any gun safety class requirements because you never know when you'll want to shoot up a school or, even better, a gay night club.
3 people handled the weapon before the incident. Every dammed one of them should have checked it.
Here is a safety tip for you so you don't continue to deflect.
EVERY GUN THAT YOU HAVEN"T PERSONALLY VERIFIED IS TO BE TREATED AS A LOADED WEAPON!
The ultimate responsibility fall on Baldwin as he was the one handling it when the trigger was squeezed.
Sure, that's why one person took a plea deal and another is being charged along side him. They all fucked up.
Was the firearm in their hand when the trigger was squeezed? Everything indicates it was in Baldwins hand.
So your saying the Armorer who's job description includes loading the weapon and the AD who handed the gun to Baldwin (and already plead guilty) bear no responsibility at all?
I don't know about you, but before I hand anyone a weapon I check it first and make sure they know what the fuck they are dealing with when I do. I learned that at 16 years old in basic gun safety class.
I'm saying that everybody how handles the firearm is responsible for the safe operation of the weapon.
And when that other person takes control of it they should check to make sure it's safe regardless of what you do. You should have been taught that in the weapons class as well.
Which was my original point, but you took it upon yourself to argue anyway.
I'm pretty sure I never gave Baldwin a pass either.
Excuses are different. You've been trying to give him excuse after excuse. There are no excuses for what happened.
No, I did not. Pointing out there are ALSO others at fault does not excuse Baldwin. Not even a little.
This exchange does show your biases though.
There is no way that Baldwin should be held accountable.
It would have been highly unprofessional for him to have checked it.
It's a movie set not your buddy's livingroom.
To take full responsibility away from Baldwin is making excuses.
The bias is only in your head. It doesn't matter who else handled the weapon before him. He failed to ensure the firearm was clear and safe and somebody died. This is all on him.
two people had that gun in their hands before it was given to him. what a moronic comment.
The moronic thing to do would be to keep making idiotic excuses like "two people had that gun in their hands before it was given to him". The responsibility falls solely on Baldwin. Doesn't matter who else handled the weapon.
BALDWIN didn't ensure the firearm was properly set up (firearms 101).
BALDWIN squeezed the trigger.
BALDWIN killed Halyna Hutchins.
BALDWIN wounded director Joel Souza.
why was an armorer required on the location set then?
I can think of quite a few reasons. Maintenance of the firearms... Physical security of the firearms... Physical security of munitions...
But NONE of them include ensuring the person handling the weapon ensuring everything is done properly before pointing it at somebody and squeezing the trigger.
yeah, gosh darn that commie overtime after 40 hours, paid sick days and paid vacations...
what a stupid comment.
considering i have read that they were doing a practice run through to find which filming shots were best , i would likely bet , all involved now wishes that they had used a true plastic fake facsimile than the actual filming prop gun .
Don't they have just flash bangs. With CGI and shit, I would think a shooting weapon is really no longer needed.
Far better than most of the idiotic excuses that you have been presented.
hell they could have use a stick for a practice run to find the best angles to film.
I would say that depends on the budget and what they are willing to spend that budget on . it has already been presented that corners were cut to save money .
Now my personal experiences in such a matter is strictly limited to military exercises for training .
we had 1 armorer whose only job was to make sure the firearms were functioning as they were suppose to and hand it to the individual it was intended for , the assistant armorer's only job was to make sure everyone got the proper ammunition required .
then we had the clearing NCO , their sole job was to double check the other 2 peoples jobs as to function of the firearm , and that no live ammo was present or in the firearm . simply done by chamber checks and ammo inspection .
no arguments from me .... hindsight is always .....
might have also been required by the state film commission and state law in order to film in the state .....
I don't like Alec Baldwin but he does not deserve to go to jail for this
I'm on the fence. If he handles weapons in the work place he should know how to check the ammo to ensure he's not using live rounds. I think there were a lot of lazy, incompetent people who showed up for work that day
Baldwin will not be convicted. He had a reasonable expectation that the armorer and assistant director did their jobs and gave him a safe gun. Whether he "should" have checked it himself is not part of the legal issue.
This is not my analysis and I am not a lawyer. This is what I have heard numerous attorneys on tv say since the indictment was announced.
Why? Basic gun safety was ignored by him, Every gun is to be treated as a loaded weapon unless you personally verify it. He failed, He pulled the trigger, you never point a gun at something you aren't willing to kill, and especially pull the trigger. he then lied about it.
Baldwin would have been wrong to have opened the cylinder to check.
Stunt guns are not to be screwed with by actors.
IMHO , i doubt they will get a criminal conviction , to many layers involved where things went wrong at each layer .
That does not leave out the possibility of a civil trial where the bar of proof is lowered substantially its entirely possible to not be convicted criminally but to be convicted civilly .
OJ ring a bell?
I guess people imagine that every actor on every set takes apart every weapon handed to him, and examines every round in the gun to verify it’s loaded only with blanks.
That’s silly. How many guns do you think John Wayne personally inspected? Clint Eastwood? Stallone?
They have people whose job it is to make sure this happens safely.
Are actors also responsible for making sure that all safety equipment is functioning properly? Are actors supposed to make sure that everyone on set is authorized to be there so vandals or terrorists don’t sneak in? Do they also check all electrical connections so no one gets electrocuted? Do they make sure stunt cars are functioning properly? With roll cages properly welded? Do they check all the air bags for jumps?
The crew is a team, and it’s not unreasonable to expect that each member of that team is doing the job they are paid to do. Blaming this on Alec Baldwin is ridiculous. Punish him for this, and you make it so no one can make a movie with a gun ever again.
The NBC news legal expert said today that it will almost be impossible to convict Baldwin. This is kind of a show trial to prove Hollywood is not above accountability.
Does Baldwin bear any responsibility for killing the victim?
No. But you won't be able to tell him that. The man is suffering.
Your what-ifs are silly. If I read the story correctly, there should have been no rounds in the gun at all...live or blank.
And he is the who pulled the trigger while pointing the gun at someone. That is negligence
I suspect awe struck fans on the jury won't convict him anyway.
No, what’s silly is your assumption that anyone who sides with Baldwin must be a fan.
A person on-set is paid to have that responsibility. Such assignment of role and compensation clearly implies both 1) that person is the one responsible for guns and gun safety, and 2) It’s not someone else’s responsibility.
Negligence is possible only where a legal duty exists.
Taking the weapon apart is a stretch. Checking to make sure it has the correct munitions is EXACTLY what is supposed to happen. It is the responsibility of EVERYBODY that handles a firearm.
It doesn't remove the responsibility from Baldwin.
Is it? I want to see evidence that actors are required/expected/traditionally/routinely inspect the ammunition every time they are handed a weapon as actors. What is truly standard practice on a set?
I am reminded of "Trust but Verify". Or in other words, cover your ass as you may not know how incompetent those around you are.
well i can think of at least one actor , the one that plays john wick , there is youtube vid of him going through the training he decided he needed to play the character , and he did so with live ammo in the vids i have seen .
Baldwin was also the producer of the movie. They hired non-union crew and rushed production to cut costs, so yes he is somewhat responsible. At least for the first charge of negligence.
He has been making films involving shooting scenes since at least 1988 and never had live rounds on
set, let alone in a "prop" gun.
I feel like someone set them all up.
Alec is considered to be a spoiled bully in the industry and a racist bigoted name calling pig.
He has no shortage when it comes to people he has pissed on or pissed off.
Karma.
Bad Boys star, Will Smith, swiftly points out gun safety on movie set - YouTube
Cute routine.
Thing is, even with being careful about where you point a gun or checking to see if it’s loaded, none of that would have helped with the Baldwin situation. You have to directly examine every round in a gun to make sure all the rounds are blanks. I’m confident that no actor is doing that.
It's a fucking revolver you don't hve to check every round, just look at it, and there is no reason to pull the trigger.
The stupid mother fucker claimed he thought it was empty, EVEN if it had blanks it wouldn't have been empty would it?
plus you could ask Jon-Erik Hexum how safe blanks are if he hadn't been killed by one.
Baldwin has more murders on his scoreboard than Rittenhouse does.
So . . . Point the loaded gun at your face?
Probably because the person being paid to make sure of that led him to believe it was.
If he were doing a stunt in a car, he’s rely on a paid person to tell him the car was safe. If he were doing something in the air with a harness, he’d rely on a paid person to tell him the harness was secure. If he were about to bash another actor on the head with beer bottle, he’d rely on a paid expert to provide a bottle made of fake glass. Just how many things is an actor supposed to check? Just how long would you like to hold up production while a non-expert checks the work of paid experts?
and...
Baldwin's being listed as one of the producers may also affect this trial and the civil trial that will almost certainly follow.
This, exactly. It’s really not quick or easy to check any firearm for blanks. You pretty much always have to empty the gun and look at the ammo. With a revolver, I guess you could try to look up the cylinders, but pointing a gun at your face feels like you’re bucking for a Darwin Award. Even then, it might be tough to tell for sure, and you can’t see all the rounds at a glance, anyway.
Not a fan of Baldwin, but a criminal conviction doesn't seem likely.
He was criminally negligent, but jury nullification is a definite possibility.
Jesus.
We argue about the ins and outs, focusing on the who’s and why’s, forgetting those lost…every minute of every day….we have a gun problem, on the streets or on a movie set…
…,perhaps this incident will bring us back to addressing the real issue…the dishonorable gaetz excluded.
Nobody is forgetting those that are lost, An why do you blame the inanimate object? I never see the idiots who whine about guns blaming cars for drunk drivers? and that is almost 100% preventable.
“Nobody is forgetting those that are lost,”
Name one, by name, and tell us just how their families are coping…
And don’t start with the inanimate object bullshit, if you can’t name an actual victim and relate to their loss.
Halyna Hutchins.
Now why do you blame an inanimate object for the actions of the holder, FFS how about some personal responsiblity for the stupid fucker who pulled the trigger? or are you blaming a hunk of metal because it's to hard to actually blame the perpetrators? GUNS kill no one all by themselves.
”Halyna Hutchins.”
Tragic.
Sandy Hook, Uvalde, Columbine…sadly the list will go on and on and on and…no point in going on and on and on….
Agreed, anyone who blames the inanimate object for the actions of the holder is an idiot who isn’t worth the effort. They drone on and on without knowing what they are talking about.
“…anyone who blames the inanimate object for the actions of the holder…”
…consequentialism…Machiavelli gets it…you may need to look it up…
What in the world do you think guns were designed for? A fashion accessory?
Ummm. Here is what he said..................
Were "holders" created to pull the trigger every time they have one in their hands?
Do guns never go off on accident? How may people killed someone by mishandling a gun?
So now people are just 'holders'. Sounds a lot like saying people are only props for guns...
No matter how many times someone says guns don't kill people people do, the gun in question was designed and made for that exact purpose.
Sure they do. While in someone's hand(s). Not just laying on the kitchen table.
Key word, mishandling. Meaning someone was handling the gun
That's a bit obtuse........well a lot obtuse
I beg to differ. I doubt the first firearms were created JUST to kill people but rather game as it was easier than a spear or bow and arrow in many cases.
Guns were made for war.
And no matter how many times you spout off that little bit of stupidity, you fail to acknowledge, that, by design, the firearm still requires somebody to manipulate it to operate.
The purpose of the firearm is what ever purpose the buyer intends. Some for sport, some for hunting, etc.
Recognizing what guns were build for is stupidity?
What is stupidity is acting like they were made to put flowers in the barrel.
How dare you, Guns roam the street at night shooting people Willy Nilly, the poor innocents don't stand a chance, Those inanimate objects are killers!!!! Killers I say, That's why all those canons in city squares blow things up when no one is looking.......We don't need no uncivilized animals to pull the trigger! We are killer guns!
They were made for putting flowers on caskets
The first fire sticks developed by the Chinese as flame throwers,
designed to terrorize and control a defensive line.
During one battle as they were running low on gunpowder they started packing stones and other shrapnel into the tubes
thus inventing an offensive firearm.
Because cars were not designed for combat, guns were. Piss poor analogy.
Why does Hollywood glamorize guns? Why do their Dem beneficiaries put up with it? Is it just about the money?
Can you just once reply without it being prefaced as a question? Is it possible you have an original thought? Who am I kidding?
I’m sorry, it’s how I have conversations. Do you not ask other’s questions when discussing a topic? Oops, another question.
Do you have any studies that show Dems prefer violent movies more the Republicans?
After all, the film industry is like any other and is just after a profit for any warm seat in a theatre
or streaming service, correct?
Oops, 2 more questions,
This was a string of stupid moves by all involved. A very inexperienced armorer who was not present in the room when Baldwin was handed the weapon. Numerous safety violations in the proceeding days had some members quit the set. Having live ammo on the set is a disaster waiting to happen and it did.
The dumb fuck that handed the weapon to Baldwin telling him it was safe without actually checking the weapon bears a hell of a lot of responsibility for this death. Baldwin himself also bears responsibility by pointing the weapon at a person.
But the armorer is the one who is ultimately responsible for the weapons and their handling. That is their job and from what I've read she was doing other jobs besides being the armorer on the set which another stupid move.
If a movie or show requires and armorer that is probably all they should be doing…
I heard a news bit this morning that at first Baldwin claimed he didn't even fire the gun. That was a stupid move.
He was saying that he didn't pull the trigger, but he did pull the hammer back if I remember correctly. It's not that far-fetched since there are weapons that can happen with and with the replica handgun involved it is possible.
That was disproved by the FBI examination of the firearm earlier however.
I don't know about prop guns but can't they tell when someone pulled a trigger. There would be residue on their hand or something.
fingerprints
If the FBI checked and confirmed that the weapon did have the safety mechanism to prevent the accidental firing then I don't know of any other way that weapon could have been fired without pulling the trigger.
True.
I saw an interview with Kristin Chenoweth. She was on a movie set and a stage light fell and smashed her in the face. Had to have reconstructive surgery and everything. Could have killed her.
Now she says she regrets not taking it to court.
She should have. Even actors have the right to expect a reasonably safe work place
It actually cracked her skull If I remember right. Scary shit.
She's lucky to be alive
I haven't spoken on this as I am a little bias.
I think Baldwin is an extreme egomaniac and a total jackass.
Anyone that hits 60 years old and decides they have to pop out six or seven kids is only doing it for ego.
Which is why I suggested somewhere that someone on that set probably loaded the gun deliberately,
not necessarily expecting a death but just fucking with Baldwin
who is a notorious prick, racist and bigot.
Lotta questions here, but something that can prevent this in the future… require all prop weapons to be fired into a clearing barrel 5 times before they are presented on set. Super cheap. And FFS verify the goddamn ammunition beforehand. How I. The fuck did live ammo make it onset?
The best solution is to use CGI and don't have weapons on the set.
From my understanding , they are going ahead with production of this film .
any bets its a flop and a money loser ?
It's hard to believe they are going ahead with production. It's ghoulish, disrespectful, and terrible PR, which is the life blood of Hollywood. Also, Baldwin's criminal defense is going to command a lot of his time.
They could be doing so for any number of reasons i think , and just to be spit balling , it could be they already have too much invested to cancel , the old follow the money . wouldn't be the first time that's happened either .
from what i read , at best its going to be very awkward since the cinematographer that died her husband is taking over her duties on set .... will say this is not a movie that will be going on my "must see" list
We shall see i guess.
Maybe the hardest part for the defense is finding 12 people who don't want to send him to jail for just being a miserable prick his whole life.
that would make his peer group trumpsters...