Alec Baldwin and the rookie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were both officially charged today with involuntary manslaughter.
In fact they were hit with two seperate felony charges, the other being involunatry manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act.
Here’s more via the New York Post:
Alec Baldwin has officially been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust,” officials announced Tuesday.
A damning document filed by prosecutors claimed Baldwin was distracted during firearms training, didn’t need to have a loaded gun during a rehearsal and made a “reckless deviation from known standards and practice” by firing the weapon, which had been accidentally loaded with a real bullet.
The “30 Rock” actor, 64, and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed – the movie’s armorer – were each hit with two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, according to a complaint filed in New Mexico First Judicial Tuesday.
Hutchins – a 42-year-old married mother – was fatally shot in New Mexico on the film set on Oct. 21, 2021 when Baldwin fired a prop gun with a live round. Director Joel Souza, was also injured in the accident.
The Statement of Probable Cause by the Santa Fe County District attorney included various errors which led to the accident and made point to note Baldwin was the primary producer on the movie in addition to lead actor.
The probable cause statement said the shooting happened during an unscheduled rehearsal and did not require the weapon to be fired. It also said consultation with expert armorers said a plastic or replica gun should have been used in that setting.
The probable cause statement against Baldwin referred to the FBI’s previous analysis of the firearm, which “clearly showed that the weapon could not be ‘accidentally fire,’” as the actor previously claimed.
The document also said that Baldwin failed to demand “at least two (2) safety checks between the armorer and himself” prior to the shooting.
The DA’s office noted that “if Baldwin had not pointed the gun at Hutchins and Souza, this tragedy would not have occurred.
“This reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol directly caused the fatal shooting,” in the document.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are both charged “in the alternative” – meaning a jury can only convict them of one of the two counts they face. The first count comes with a maximum sentence of 18 months behind bars, while the second carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison.
Wow. I really does sound like the facts speak for themselves, as the DA has said in this case already.
At the very least Baldwin should have checked the gun to make sure it wasn’t loaded, especially if it was being used beforehand to fire live rounds. It’s just hard to get around this singular point. When it comes to guns, you never trust anyone execpt yourself.