Alec Baldwin charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

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Actor Alec Baldwin faces involuntary manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the 2021 filming of Western "Rust" in New Mexico.

Santa Fe's top prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement Thursday that the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, would also face involuntary manslaughter charges.

Hutchins' family welcomed the announcement. In a statement, Baldwin attorney Luke Nikas said, "this decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice."

The announcement followed more than a year of investigation after a pistol was fired in October 2021 as Baldwin, 64, was rehearsing with it on the set of his movie "Rust" outside Santa Fe.

Prosecutors must prove on-set firearm safety began with Gutierrez Reed, who was in charge of weapons; applied to Halls, who checked the gun and handed it to Baldwin, then extended to the actor, who also was a producer on the film.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be charged “in the alternative” with two counts of manslaughter, meaning a jury will decide not only if they were guilty, but under which definition of involuntary manslaughter, the prosecutor said.

Simple involuntary manslaughter for negligence is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. Should prosecutors prove there was more than simple negligence involved in the use of a firearm, they could face a five-year jail term.

Baldwin thought the gun was a prop.

He didn’t know a loaded gun was bought onto the set.

He should have checked to verify, though.

I assume this is the Hutchens family launching litigation on the assumption Halyna's death was preventable and that ultimately Baldwin was legally responsible for a safe working environment.

And it shouldn't have been accessible to him in the first place.
I'm sure he didn't intend to shoot her or anyone, but he knew it was "a real gun" whether loaded or not.
They wouldn't have an armorer on set if it was a prop.

And it shouldn't have been accessible to him in the first place.
I'm sure he didn't intend to shoot her or anyone, but he knew it was "a real gun" whether loaded or not.
They wouldn't have an armorer on set if it was a prop.

Was it supposed to be loaded at any point in the movie?

Was it supposed to be loaded at any point in the movie?

Was it supposed to be loaded at any point in the movie?

It might be, because if you need to shoot a shot where it's being loaded you might need to load it with real ammo.