Actor Alec Baldwin | photo credit: david de delgado
Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons expert have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set, according to court documents filed Tuesday by prosecutors.
Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweiss filed charging documents naming Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reid as the men who supervised the weapons on the set of the western “Rust” and outlined evidence that they repeatedly deviated from known safety standards. Happened.
Halina Hutchins died shortly after being injured during a rehearsal on October 21, 2021, at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing him and wounding director Joel Souza.
Prosecutors have said that Baldwin’s involvement as a producer and as the gunman weighed in the decision to file charges.
In recent weeks, Carmack-Altweiss faced two sets of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting.
The murder charge filed Tuesday against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reid includes two optional standards and sanctions.
A version would require proof of negligence, which is punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.
The second option is for reckless disregard of safety “without reasonable care and caution.” It carries a higher threshold of misdemeanor and includes a “firearms enhancement” that can result in a mandatory five-year prison sentence if the offense was committed with a firearm. Prosecutors have said that a jury may ultimately decide which definition of murder to pursue.
A probable cause statement outlining the evidence against Baldwin alleges multiple instances of “extremely reckless acts” or reckless failures to exercise caution in the days and minutes leading up to the fatal shooting.
Investigators say Baldwin pulled a revolver from the holster, pointed it at Hutchins and fired the weapon when a plastic or replica gun should have been used according to industry standards.
It says that rehearsal photographs and video, including moments before the fatal shooting, showed Baldwin “tampering” with the pistol’s hammer inside the trigger guard and on the trigger, and that an FBI analysis shows that the pistol could not be fired without pressing the trigger.
Investigators say Baldwin failed to appear for mandatory firearms training prior to filming, and he did not fully complete the training on set due to being distracted by phone calls to family. They also cite required safety-checks and multiple violations of protocol as the gun was loaded and provided to Baldwin. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reid maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges.
Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nicks, declined to comment Tuesday and referred to his previous statement on the case, in which he called the allegations a “terrible miscarriage of justice” that he and his client will fight and win.
“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe that there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the set of the film,” the statement said. “He depended on the professionals he worked with.” Gutierrez-Reid’s attorney said they would release a statement later.