Please Follow us on Gab, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, Gab TV, GETTR, Truth Social
“30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been criminally charged with two federal counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, prosecutors said Thursday.
A prop gun was used on the movie set for “Rust,” and was loaded with a real bullet.
Assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the loaded gun, accepted a misdemeanor charge in a plea deal.
“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,” special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said.
Following “a thorough review of the evidence and the laws…I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew,” said District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice,” she declared in a written statement.
The investigation concluded that they all bore responsibility for the death of Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
A preliminary court hearing will be held within 60 days to determine if there is probable cause to go to trial, prosecutors said.
Gutierrez-Reed has repeatedly denied responsibility for the shooting. In January 2022, she filed a lawsuit against the props company that supplied the rounds and allegedly they sold blank and live mixed together.
The shooting happened while Baldwin was rehearsing for a scene with a gun. Baldwin pointed the gun directly at the camera and fired a single bullet that struck both Hutchins and Souza.
Assistant director David Halls was the one who handed the gun to Baldwin and admitted to police he “should have checked” all of the rounds inside the barrel after Gutirrez-Reed passed it over to him.
In a statement, the Hutchins family thanked the Santa Fe sheriff and the district attorney.
“It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law,” said attorney Brian J. Panish, who represents the Hutchins family. “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.”
Subscribe to our evening newsletter to stay informed during these challenging times!!
