News Analysis India

Tag: Alec Baldwin

  • Shooting on ‘Rust’ set: Involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin will be dropped

    By Associated Press

    SANTA FE: Prosecutors said Thursday they will dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film “ Rust,” but cautioned that their investigation is not over and the actor has not been absolved yet.

    Special prosecutors Kari Morrisey and Jason Lewis announced their decision to dismiss the felony charge after “new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis,” without giving further details. An involuntary manslaughter charge against Hannah Gutierrez Reed, weapons supervisor on the film, remains unchanged, they said.

    “We cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement,” the prosecutors said in a statement. “This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going.”

    Lawyers for Baldwin were first to announce that prosecutors were changing course, in a sharp turnaround for the Hollywood luminary who just a few months ago was confronting the possibility of a yearslong prison sentence.

    “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.

    When word of the dismissal came, Baldwin was at Yellowstone Film Ranch on the set of a rebooted “Rust” production. Preparations for filming were underway Thursday at its new location in Montana, 18 months after the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins shut it down, a representative for Rust Movie Productions said.

    Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

    Baldwin has said the gun fired accidentally and he did not pull the trigger. An FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled, however.

    John Day, a Santa Fe-based criminal defense attorney who is not involved with the “Rust” case, highlighted the arrival of a new prosecution team in late March and suggested it may have been a factor in the decision to dismiss the charge.

    “This is very different from what the original prosecutor said,” he noted. “It does raise the question of initially the Santa Fe district attorney saying, ‘We’re holding Alec Baldwin responsible in part because of the role as CEO of the production and (that) it was a very sloppy production’ — does this mean that the new prosecutors have a different point of view?”

    Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys said they fully expect her to be exonerated in the judicial process.

    “The truth about what happened will come out and the questions that we have long sought answers for will be answered,” the lawyers, Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, said in a statement.

    The case against Baldwin had already been diminishing. A weapons charge that would have meant a much longer sentence was dismissed, and the first special prosecutor appointed in the case resigned.

    The A-list actor’s 40-year career has included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.” In recent years he was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

    The 65-year-old has worked little since the shooting but hardly went into hiding. He stayed active on social media, making Instagram videos and posting podcast interviews and pictures of his wife and seven children.

    “Rust” safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest in March to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and a suspended sentence of six months of probation.

    Plans to resume filming were outlined last year by the cinematographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, in a proposed settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit that would make him an executive producer. Souza has said he will return to directing “Rust” to honor the legacy of Halyna Hutchins.

    Despite the settlement, attorneys for the Hutchins family said they welcomed the criminal charges against Baldwin when they were filed. They had no immediate comment on the pending dismissal Thursday.

    After a scathing safety review by regulators in New Mexico that detailed ignored complaints and misfires before Hutchins’ death in October 2021, the production company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine.

    Baldwin has not traveled to New Mexico to appear in court, which is not required of him under state law. Evidentiary hearings had been scheduled for next month to determine whether to proceed toward trial.

    Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had said previously that her office is pursuing justice in the death of Hutchins and wants to show no one is above the law when it comes to firearms and public safety. She says the Ukrainian-born cinematographer’s death was tragic and preventable.

    SANTA FE: Prosecutors said Thursday they will dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film “ Rust,” but cautioned that their investigation is not over and the actor has not been absolved yet.

    Special prosecutors Kari Morrisey and Jason Lewis announced their decision to dismiss the felony charge after “new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis,” without giving further details. An involuntary manslaughter charge against Hannah Gutierrez Reed, weapons supervisor on the film, remains unchanged, they said.

    “We cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement,” the prosecutors said in a statement. “This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Lawyers for Baldwin were first to announce that prosecutors were changing course, in a sharp turnaround for the Hollywood luminary who just a few months ago was confronting the possibility of a yearslong prison sentence.

    “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.

    When word of the dismissal came, Baldwin was at Yellowstone Film Ranch on the set of a rebooted “Rust” production. Preparations for filming were underway Thursday at its new location in Montana, 18 months after the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins shut it down, a representative for Rust Movie Productions said.

    Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

    Baldwin has said the gun fired accidentally and he did not pull the trigger. An FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled, however.

    John Day, a Santa Fe-based criminal defense attorney who is not involved with the “Rust” case, highlighted the arrival of a new prosecution team in late March and suggested it may have been a factor in the decision to dismiss the charge.

    “This is very different from what the original prosecutor said,” he noted. “It does raise the question of initially the Santa Fe district attorney saying, ‘We’re holding Alec Baldwin responsible in part because of the role as CEO of the production and (that) it was a very sloppy production’ — does this mean that the new prosecutors have a different point of view?”

    Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys said they fully expect her to be exonerated in the judicial process.

    “The truth about what happened will come out and the questions that we have long sought answers for will be answered,” the lawyers, Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, said in a statement.

    The case against Baldwin had already been diminishing. A weapons charge that would have meant a much longer sentence was dismissed, and the first special prosecutor appointed in the case resigned.

    The A-list actor’s 40-year career has included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.” In recent years he was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

    The 65-year-old has worked little since the shooting but hardly went into hiding. He stayed active on social media, making Instagram videos and posting podcast interviews and pictures of his wife and seven children.

    “Rust” safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest in March to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and a suspended sentence of six months of probation.

    Plans to resume filming were outlined last year by the cinematographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, in a proposed settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit that would make him an executive producer. Souza has said he will return to directing “Rust” to honor the legacy of Halyna Hutchins.

    Despite the settlement, attorneys for the Hutchins family said they welcomed the criminal charges against Baldwin when they were filed. They had no immediate comment on the pending dismissal Thursday.

    After a scathing safety review by regulators in New Mexico that detailed ignored complaints and misfires before Hutchins’ death in October 2021, the production company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine.

    Baldwin has not traveled to New Mexico to appear in court, which is not required of him under state law. Evidentiary hearings had been scheduled for next month to determine whether to proceed toward trial.

    Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had said previously that her office is pursuing justice in the death of Hutchins and wants to show no one is above the law when it comes to firearms and public safety. She says the Ukrainian-born cinematographer’s death was tragic and preventable.

  • ‘Rust’ set shooting: Court to weigh Baldwin codefendant’s plea on weapons charge

    By Associated Press

    SANTA FE: A judge is scheduled to resolve a weapons-related charge Friday against a codefendant in the case against actor Alec Baldwin for the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on a movie set.

    Prosecutors announced in January a proposed plea agreement with safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls regarding his responsibilities in the Western movie “Rust” and the death of Halyna Hutchins.

    Halls has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent or unsafe use of a deadly weapon, pending a court review of the plea proposal. Complete terms of the agreement have not been made public.

    Halls is likely to be sentenced Friday if State District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer authorizes the plea agreement.

    Baldwin and movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter that carry a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and fines.

    Hutchins died shortly after she was shot Oct. 21, 2021, during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Baldwin was pointing a pistol being used in the production at Hutchins when the weapon went off and a single live round killed her and wounded director Joel Souza.

    In separate regulatory proceedings, workplace safety authorities have asserted Halls shared responsibility for identifying and correcting any hazardous conditions related to firearms safety in the movie’s production. They contend Halls handed Baldwin the revolver that was loaded with what were assumed to be dummy rounds.

    A weekslong preliminary hearing in May will decide whether evidence against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed is sufficient to proceed to trial.

    Santa Fe’s district attorney this week appointed two special prosecutors, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis.

    The original special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, resigned in the wake of missteps in the filing of initial charges against Baldwin and objections that Reeb’s role as a state legislator created conflicting responsibilities.

    SANTA FE: A judge is scheduled to resolve a weapons-related charge Friday against a codefendant in the case against actor Alec Baldwin for the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on a movie set.

    Prosecutors announced in January a proposed plea agreement with safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls regarding his responsibilities in the Western movie “Rust” and the death of Halyna Hutchins.

    Halls has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent or unsafe use of a deadly weapon, pending a court review of the plea proposal. Complete terms of the agreement have not been made public.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Halls is likely to be sentenced Friday if State District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer authorizes the plea agreement.

    Baldwin and movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter that carry a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and fines.

    Hutchins died shortly after she was shot Oct. 21, 2021, during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Baldwin was pointing a pistol being used in the production at Hutchins when the weapon went off and a single live round killed her and wounded director Joel Souza.

    In separate regulatory proceedings, workplace safety authorities have asserted Halls shared responsibility for identifying and correcting any hazardous conditions related to firearms safety in the movie’s production. They contend Halls handed Baldwin the revolver that was loaded with what were assumed to be dummy rounds.

    A weekslong preliminary hearing in May will decide whether evidence against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed is sufficient to proceed to trial.

    Santa Fe’s district attorney this week appointed two special prosecutors, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis.

    The original special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, resigned in the wake of missteps in the filing of initial charges against Baldwin and objections that Reeb’s role as a state legislator created conflicting responsibilities.

  • Alec Baldwin pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in ‘Rust’ set shooting, can still work

    By Associated Press

    Actor Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie and waived his first formal court appearance, in court documents filed Thursday.

    Baldwin and a weapons supervisor were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe in October 2021.

    Baldwin agreed to forgo a hearing to have his rights explained to him. A judge on Thursday set conditions of release that allow Baldwin to have limited contact with potential witnesses in connection with plans to complete the filming of “Rust.”

    Prosecutors and defense attorneys are preparing for a likely preliminary hearing within a few months to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

    Other provisions of Baldwin’s pretrial release include a prohibition on consuming alcohol and against any possession of weapons, including firearms.

    “Defendant is permitted to have contact with potential witnesses only … in connection with completing the ‘Rust’ movie and other related and unrelated business matters; provided, however, that defendant is not permitted to discuss the accident at issue,” state District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said in a signed order.

    The involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, a lead actor and co-producer on “Rust,” and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

    Authorities said Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.

    Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas said when the charges were announced that they were “a terrible miscarriage of justice.” He said Baldwin relied on the professionals with whom he worked and “had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun.”

    Work on “Rust” was halted with Hutchins’ death. Rust Movie Productions says filming is expected to resume this spring, without the use of real weapons or ammunition.

    Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, will be the film’s new executive producer, fulfilling the terms of a legal settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other “Rust” producers.

    A related documentary is planned that would detail the completion of the film and the life of Hutchins.

    Gutierrez-Reed is scheduled to appear remotely at a court hearing Friday, Her attorney says Gutierrez-Reed will enter a plea of not guilty.

    Prosecutors say assistant director David Halls, who oversaw safety on set, has signed an agreement to plead guilty in the negligent use of a deadly weapon, explaining that he may have handled the gun improperly before it was given to Baldwin.

    A judge is scheduled to consider approval of the plea agreement in March. Halls waived his first appearance in court.

    Actor Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie and waived his first formal court appearance, in court documents filed Thursday.

    Baldwin and a weapons supervisor were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe in October 2021.

    Baldwin agreed to forgo a hearing to have his rights explained to him. A judge on Thursday set conditions of release that allow Baldwin to have limited contact with potential witnesses in connection with plans to complete the filming of “Rust.”

    Prosecutors and defense attorneys are preparing for a likely preliminary hearing within a few months to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

    Other provisions of Baldwin’s pretrial release include a prohibition on consuming alcohol and against any possession of weapons, including firearms.

    “Defendant is permitted to have contact with potential witnesses only … in connection with completing the ‘Rust’ movie and other related and unrelated business matters; provided, however, that defendant is not permitted to discuss the accident at issue,” state District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said in a signed order.

    The involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, a lead actor and co-producer on “Rust,” and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed are punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

    Authorities said Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.

    Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas said when the charges were announced that they were “a terrible miscarriage of justice.” He said Baldwin relied on the professionals with whom he worked and “had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun.”

    Work on “Rust” was halted with Hutchins’ death. Rust Movie Productions says filming is expected to resume this spring, without the use of real weapons or ammunition.

    Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, will be the film’s new executive producer, fulfilling the terms of a legal settlement to a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other “Rust” producers.

    A related documentary is planned that would detail the completion of the film and the life of Hutchins.

    Gutierrez-Reed is scheduled to appear remotely at a court hearing Friday, Her attorney says Gutierrez-Reed will enter a plea of not guilty.

    Prosecutors say assistant director David Halls, who oversaw safety on set, has signed an agreement to plead guilty in the negligent use of a deadly weapon, explaining that he may have handled the gun improperly before it was given to Baldwin.

    A judge is scheduled to consider approval of the plea agreement in March. Halls waived his first appearance in court.

  • Alec Baldwin no longer facing five years in prison for fatal ‘Rust’ shooting

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: The prosecution in the case of a fatal New Mexico film-set shooting made a stark turnaround Monday, dropping the possibility of a mandatory five-year sentence against Alec Baldwin, new court filings show.

    The actor-producer’s attorneys had earlier objected to the enhancement, saying it was unconstitutional because it was added after the October 2021 shooting. Legal experts had said Baldwin had a strong chance of seeing it tossed out.

    “The prosecutors committed a basic legal error by charging Mr Baldwin under a version of the firearm-enhancement statute that did not exist on the date of the accident,” Baldwin’s attorneys said in an earlier court filing.

    Baldwin’s attorney declined to comment Monday after the reversal by prosecutors, who earlier criticized his efforts to have the sentencing requirement dropped. The related standard for the possibility of a mandatory five years would be a reckless disregard of safety “without due caution and circumspection” and carried a higher threshold of wrongdoing.

    The remaining alternative standard and set of penalties in the case now require proof of negligence, which is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

    Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, said in an email earlier this month that the prosecution’s focus “will remain on ensuring that justice is served and that everyone — even celebrities with fancy attorneys — is held accountable under the law.”

    Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the set of the film “Rust,” were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

    Authorities said Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Hutchins’ parents and sister have filed a lawsuit over the shooting after a similar suit filed by her husband and son was settled.

    Production that was halted by the shooting is expected to resume this spring. Rust Movie Productions said Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, will be the film’s new executive producer with Blanca Cline as the new cinematographer.

    Rust Movie Productions said last week a related documentary will detail the completion of the film and the life of Halyna Hutchins. Souza will return as director when production resumes, although it’s unclear in what state the filming will take place.

    Rust Movie Productions officials said the use of “working weapons” and “any form of ammunition” will be prohibited on the movie set.

    LOS ANGELES: The prosecution in the case of a fatal New Mexico film-set shooting made a stark turnaround Monday, dropping the possibility of a mandatory five-year sentence against Alec Baldwin, new court filings show.

    The actor-producer’s attorneys had earlier objected to the enhancement, saying it was unconstitutional because it was added after the October 2021 shooting. Legal experts had said Baldwin had a strong chance of seeing it tossed out.

    “The prosecutors committed a basic legal error by charging Mr Baldwin under a version of the firearm-enhancement statute that did not exist on the date of the accident,” Baldwin’s attorneys said in an earlier court filing.

    Baldwin’s attorney declined to comment Monday after the reversal by prosecutors, who earlier criticized his efforts to have the sentencing requirement dropped. The related standard for the possibility of a mandatory five years would be a reckless disregard of safety “without due caution and circumspection” and carried a higher threshold of wrongdoing.

    The remaining alternative standard and set of penalties in the case now require proof of negligence, which is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

    Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, said in an email earlier this month that the prosecution’s focus “will remain on ensuring that justice is served and that everyone — even celebrities with fancy attorneys — is held accountable under the law.”

    Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the set of the film “Rust,” were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

    Authorities said Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Hutchins’ parents and sister have filed a lawsuit over the shooting after a similar suit filed by her husband and son was settled.

    Production that was halted by the shooting is expected to resume this spring. Rust Movie Productions said Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, will be the film’s new executive producer with Blanca Cline as the new cinematographer.

    Rust Movie Productions said last week a related documentary will detail the completion of the film and the life of Halyna Hutchins. Souza will return as director when production resumes, although it’s unclear in what state the filming will take place.

    Rust Movie Productions officials said the use of “working weapons” and “any form of ammunition” will be prohibited on the movie set.

  • Actor Alec Baldwin faces involuntary manslaughter charge for fatal shooting on movie set

    By Associated Press

    SANTA FE: Prosecutors linked Alec Baldwin to an expansive list of alleged failures in firearms safety as they filed a felony involuntary manslaughter charge Tuesday against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set.

    Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

    Baldwin and film-set weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed face charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Hutchins on the set of the Western movie “Rust.”

    A manslaughter charge can be brought for a killing that occurs while a defendant is doing something lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution.

    Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges. In newly filed court documents, prosecutors say reckless safety failures accompanied the film production from the outset.

    They cite Baldwin’s failure as an actor to appear for mandatory firearms training prior to filming and his decision as a producer to work with Gutierrez-Reed, who was an uncertified and inexperienced armourer.

    A probable cause statement from investigators traces safety failures across a 10-day period from misfires on set and a camera crew walkout to the moments before Hutchins’ death as a revolver was loaded with ammunition and Baldwin’s finger came to rest on the pistol’s trigger.

    “Baldwin’s deviation from known standards, practices and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins,” Robert Shilling, a special investigator for the Santa Fe district attorney’s office, said in the probable cause statement.

    Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas declined to comment Tuesday and referred to a previous statement in which he called the charges a “terrible miscarriage of justice” that he and his client would fight and win.”Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set,” the statement said. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked.”

    Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney said they would release a statement later.

    Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press in a Jan. 19 interview that the set was “really being run pretty fast and loose” and Baldwin should have known there were previous misfires on the set and multiple people had brought up safety concerns.

    She also highlighted Baldwin as the person “that held the gun, that pointed the gun and that pulled the trigger.”

    With charges filed on Tuesday, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court, possibly by remote webcast. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. A decision could take up to 60 days.

    The manslaughter charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed include two alternative standards and sanctions.

    One version would require proof of negligence, which is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

    The second alternative is a reckless disregard for safety “without due caution and circumspection.” It carries a higher threshold of wrongdoing and includes a “firearm enhancement” that could result in a mandatory five years in prison because the offence was committed with a gun.

    A jury may decide which definition of manslaughter to pursue, prosecutors said. Defence litigator Kate Mangels, whose work includes the entertainment sector, said prosecutors submitted a robust analysis of Baldwin’s safety responsibilities as actor and producer on “Rust.”

    “The fact that they separated out Alec Baldwin the actor versus Alec Baldwin the producer shows to me that they’re potentially foreseeing a challenge to his culpability as to either of those roles,” said Mangles, who is based in Santa Monica, California. “So they want to differentiate … and provide a robust analysis of both of those separately.”

    Investigators said reckless safety failures culminated when Baldwin drew a revolver from a holster, pointed it at Hutchins and fired the weapon when a plastic or replica gun should have been used by industry standards.

    Photos and videos of the rehearsal, including moments before the deadly shooting, showed Baldwin with his finger inside the trigger guard and on the trigger while “manipulating” the pistol’s hammer, investigators said, noting that an FBI analysis shows the pistol could not be fired without pressing the trigger.

    Baldwin, who has described the killing as a tragic accident, said he was told the .45-caliber revolver was safe. The 64-year-old actor has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun.

    Baldwin said in his lawsuit that, while working on camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

    Defense attorney Jason Bowles, who represents Gutierrez-Reed, said the charges are the result of a “flawed investigation” and an “inaccurate understanding of the full facts.”

    The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengary Glen Ross.” In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former

    President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

    Prosecutors said a proposed plea agreement signed by assistant director David Halls, who oversaw safety on set, has not yet been approved by a judge and cannot be published.

    Halls had agreed to plead guilty in the negligent use of a deadly weapon, explaining that he may have handled the gun improperly before it was given to Baldwin, prosecutors said. 

    SANTA FE: Prosecutors linked Alec Baldwin to an expansive list of alleged failures in firearms safety as they filed a felony involuntary manslaughter charge Tuesday against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set.

    Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

    Baldwin and film-set weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed face charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Hutchins on the set of the Western movie “Rust.”

    A manslaughter charge can be brought for a killing that occurs while a defendant is doing something lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution.

    Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges. In newly filed court documents, prosecutors say reckless safety failures accompanied the film production from the outset.

    They cite Baldwin’s failure as an actor to appear for mandatory firearms training prior to filming and his decision as a producer to work with Gutierrez-Reed, who was an uncertified and inexperienced armourer.

    A probable cause statement from investigators traces safety failures across a 10-day period from misfires on set and a camera crew walkout to the moments before Hutchins’ death as a revolver was loaded with ammunition and Baldwin’s finger came to rest on the pistol’s trigger.

    “Baldwin’s deviation from known standards, practices and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins,” Robert Shilling, a special investigator for the Santa Fe district attorney’s office, said in the probable cause statement.

    Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas declined to comment Tuesday and referred to a previous statement in which he called the charges a “terrible miscarriage of justice” that he and his client would fight and win.
    “Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set,” the statement said. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked.”

    Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney said they would release a statement later.

    Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press in a Jan. 19 interview that the set was “really being run pretty fast and loose” and Baldwin should have known there were previous misfires on the set and multiple people had brought up safety concerns.

    She also highlighted Baldwin as the person “that held the gun, that pointed the gun and that pulled the trigger.”

    With charges filed on Tuesday, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court, possibly by remote webcast. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. A decision could take up to 60 days.

    The manslaughter charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed include two alternative standards and sanctions.

    One version would require proof of negligence, which is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

    The second alternative is a reckless disregard for safety “without due caution and circumspection.” It carries a higher threshold of wrongdoing and includes a “firearm enhancement” that could result in a mandatory five years in prison because the offence was committed with a gun.

    A jury may decide which definition of manslaughter to pursue, prosecutors said. Defence litigator Kate Mangels, whose work includes the entertainment sector, said prosecutors submitted a robust analysis of Baldwin’s safety responsibilities as actor and producer on “Rust.”

    “The fact that they separated out Alec Baldwin the actor versus Alec Baldwin the producer shows to me that they’re potentially foreseeing a challenge to his culpability as to either of those roles,” said Mangles, who is based in Santa Monica, California. “So they want to differentiate … and provide a robust analysis of both of those separately.”

    Investigators said reckless safety failures culminated when Baldwin drew a revolver from a holster, pointed it at Hutchins and fired the weapon when a plastic or replica gun should have been used by industry standards.

    Photos and videos of the rehearsal, including moments before the deadly shooting, showed Baldwin with his finger inside the trigger guard and on the trigger while “manipulating” the pistol’s hammer, investigators said, noting that an FBI analysis shows the pistol could not be fired without pressing the trigger.

    Baldwin, who has described the killing as a tragic accident, said he was told the .45-caliber revolver was safe. The 64-year-old actor has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun.

    Baldwin said in his lawsuit that, while working on camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

    Defense attorney Jason Bowles, who represents Gutierrez-Reed, said the charges are the result of a “flawed investigation” and an “inaccurate understanding of the full facts.”

    The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengary Glen Ross.” In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former

    President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

    Prosecutors said a proposed plea agreement signed by assistant director David Halls, who oversaw safety on set, has not yet been approved by a judge and cannot be published.

    Halls had agreed to plead guilty in the negligent use of a deadly weapon, explaining that he may have handled the gun improperly before it was given to Baldwin, prosecutors said.
     

  • As actor Alec Baldwin faces charges, gun safety on sets ‘gets louder’

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: Film production and firearms experts say movie sets probably changed permanently when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the remote New Mexico set of the Western “Rust” 14 months ago, leading to the announcement from prosecutors Thursday that Alec Baldwin and the film’s weapons supervisor will be charged with involuntary manslaughter later this month.

    “The gun safety experience on set has become more vocal, it’s a lot louder,” said Joey Dillon, an armorer who has overseen the use of firearms on television shows including “Westworld” and movies including “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” “I make it a lot louder myself.”

    Baldwin was pointing the gun with a live round inside that killed Hutchins as they set up a shot for an upcoming scene. People at several levels of production are determined to assure it never happens again.

    That has meant the increasing use of digital and other technology that could make gunfire of any kind obsolete. It has also meant more simple things, like shouting when using the same safety protocols long in place to make clear to everyone when a gun is present and what its status is.

    Actors and others are more interested when the gun is handed over.

    “Now people want to check because people are a little a little gun shy,” Dillon said. “I’ll stop the whole process just to show them so that they feel comfortable with it.”

    While checking a gun themselves may be in the best interest of actors, how much responsibility they bear for doing so remains in dispute, and will be a central question for jurors should Baldwin’s case go to trial.

    His union, and his lawyer, say this onus can’t be placed on performers.

    “An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert,” the Screen Actors Guild said in a statement Thursday. “Firearms are provided for their use under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm.”

    Baldwin’s defense attorney Luke Nikas said in a statement that he did his job by relying “on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.”

    Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies disagrees.

    “It is incumbent on anybody that holds a gun to make sure that it is either not loaded or to know what it is loaded with,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And certainly then to not point it at someone and pull the trigger. That’s where his actor liability, we think, comes in.”

    She also emphasized that while Baldwin is to be charged as the man with the gun in his hand, his role as a producer, and at least partial responsibility for the lax conditions that led to his having a loaded gun, were a consideration in deciding to bring the charges.

    Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who oversaw the film’s firearms, will also be charged with involuntary manslaughter, the district attorney said.

    Her attorney Jason Bowles said in a statement that they would “bring the full truth to light and that she “will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”

    Technology may take the safety question out of actors’ hands entirely.

    Productions were already using digital effects to simulate the flash and bang of gunfire more often, but Hutchins’ death has almost certainly sped the change along.

    “There are a lot of bad ways that digital takes over, but this is a good way,” said Spencer Parsons, an associate professor and head of production at Northwestern University in the School of Communication’s department of Radio/Television/Film who has worked as a director and in other roles on any sets. “I’m not saying that there’s no good reason to use real pyrotechnics, but in terms of basic safety and speed, this makes sense.”

    And when it comes to hardware, companies have been making increasingly convincing replicas, essentially enhanced BB guns with moving parts that behave like pistols but don’t fire bullets. Muzzle flashes and sounds are added in post-production.

    But, Parsons said, “there’s not a lot of replicas for some of the antique stuff” used in Westerns and other period movies, which he specializes in.

    Other solutions that have been sought for sets may be misguided, and may not help.

    In the days immediately after the shooting, much media discussion surrounded the dangers of blank rounds in guns, based on the assumption that one of them killed Hutchins.

    “From experience I knew it was more than that,” Dillon said. “But the immediate reaction in the industry was to try to cancel the use of blanks altogether.”

    Dillon said dummy rounds, prop bullets used in scenes where characters are shown loading guns, are more likely to result in mistakes like what happened on “Rust,” since they look like live ammunition and could be confused with them.

    He said he found that “frustrating because that can accidentally impart to the crew that we’ve been ignorant” and previously kept them in unnecessary danger.

    When investigators revealed it was actually a live round, the fear of blanks, which can certainly be very dangerous at very close range, remained.

    Parsons said the fact that it was misguided to blame the fact that “Rust” was a small-budget independent production. He said the pace and length of large studio productions can put crews in positions where accidents of all kinds can become more likely.

    “In some cases they can put people through even longer hours, and the need for speed is even greater,” he said. “That can be very very dangerous. The need for speed on any set incentives behavior that’s not always the best for safety.”

    Gutierrez-Reed’s dual role as armorer and assistant props supervisor has also received negative attention.

    But Dillon said the overlap of weapons and props is inevitable, and such dual roles happen often. The crew members playing those roles just need to be utterly clear when they’re playing which.

    “When the guns come out, that’s all I’m worried about,” he said, “and that’s all I’m working on.”

    LOS ANGELES: Film production and firearms experts say movie sets probably changed permanently when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the remote New Mexico set of the Western “Rust” 14 months ago, leading to the announcement from prosecutors Thursday that Alec Baldwin and the film’s weapons supervisor will be charged with involuntary manslaughter later this month.

    “The gun safety experience on set has become more vocal, it’s a lot louder,” said Joey Dillon, an armorer who has overseen the use of firearms on television shows including “Westworld” and movies including “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” “I make it a lot louder myself.”

    Baldwin was pointing the gun with a live round inside that killed Hutchins as they set up a shot for an upcoming scene. People at several levels of production are determined to assure it never happens again.

    That has meant the increasing use of digital and other technology that could make gunfire of any kind obsolete. It has also meant more simple things, like shouting when using the same safety protocols long in place to make clear to everyone when a gun is present and what its status is.

    Actors and others are more interested when the gun is handed over.

    “Now people want to check because people are a little a little gun shy,” Dillon said. “I’ll stop the whole process just to show them so that they feel comfortable with it.”

    While checking a gun themselves may be in the best interest of actors, how much responsibility they bear for doing so remains in dispute, and will be a central question for jurors should Baldwin’s case go to trial.

    His union, and his lawyer, say this onus can’t be placed on performers.

    “An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert,” the Screen Actors Guild said in a statement Thursday. “Firearms are provided for their use under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm.”

    Baldwin’s defense attorney Luke Nikas said in a statement that he did his job by relying “on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.”

    Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies disagrees.

    “It is incumbent on anybody that holds a gun to make sure that it is either not loaded or to know what it is loaded with,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And certainly then to not point it at someone and pull the trigger. That’s where his actor liability, we think, comes in.”

    She also emphasized that while Baldwin is to be charged as the man with the gun in his hand, his role as a producer, and at least partial responsibility for the lax conditions that led to his having a loaded gun, were a consideration in deciding to bring the charges.

    Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who oversaw the film’s firearms, will also be charged with involuntary manslaughter, the district attorney said.

    Her attorney Jason Bowles said in a statement that they would “bring the full truth to light and that she “will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”

    Technology may take the safety question out of actors’ hands entirely.

    Productions were already using digital effects to simulate the flash and bang of gunfire more often, but Hutchins’ death has almost certainly sped the change along.

    “There are a lot of bad ways that digital takes over, but this is a good way,” said Spencer Parsons, an associate professor and head of production at Northwestern University in the School of Communication’s department of Radio/Television/Film who has worked as a director and in other roles on any sets. “I’m not saying that there’s no good reason to use real pyrotechnics, but in terms of basic safety and speed, this makes sense.”

    And when it comes to hardware, companies have been making increasingly convincing replicas, essentially enhanced BB guns with moving parts that behave like pistols but don’t fire bullets. Muzzle flashes and sounds are added in post-production.

    But, Parsons said, “there’s not a lot of replicas for some of the antique stuff” used in Westerns and other period movies, which he specializes in.

    Other solutions that have been sought for sets may be misguided, and may not help.

    In the days immediately after the shooting, much media discussion surrounded the dangers of blank rounds in guns, based on the assumption that one of them killed Hutchins.

    “From experience I knew it was more than that,” Dillon said. “But the immediate reaction in the industry was to try to cancel the use of blanks altogether.”

    Dillon said dummy rounds, prop bullets used in scenes where characters are shown loading guns, are more likely to result in mistakes like what happened on “Rust,” since they look like live ammunition and could be confused with them.

    He said he found that “frustrating because that can accidentally impart to the crew that we’ve been ignorant” and previously kept them in unnecessary danger.

    When investigators revealed it was actually a live round, the fear of blanks, which can certainly be very dangerous at very close range, remained.

    Parsons said the fact that it was misguided to blame the fact that “Rust” was a small-budget independent production. He said the pace and length of large studio productions can put crews in positions where accidents of all kinds can become more likely.

    “In some cases they can put people through even longer hours, and the need for speed is even greater,” he said. “That can be very very dangerous. The need for speed on any set incentives behavior that’s not always the best for safety.”

    Gutierrez-Reed’s dual role as armorer and assistant props supervisor has also received negative attention.

    But Dillon said the overlap of weapons and props is inevitable, and such dual roles happen often. The crew members playing those roles just need to be utterly clear when they’re playing which.

    “When the guns come out, that’s all I’m worried about,” he said, “and that’s all I’m working on.”

  • Alec Baldwin sues ‘Rust’ staff in fatal movie-set shooting, holds crew responsible for mishap

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: American actor Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against four people involved in the Western film “Rust,” saying they were negligent in providing him with a gun that discharged, killing the movie’s cinematographer.

    The death on October 21, 2021 of Halyna Hutchins sent shock waves through Hollywood and gave rise to a series of civil suits.

    The 64-year-old Baldwin is suing the film’s armourer and props assistant, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed; assistant director David Halls; props master Sarah Zachry; and Seth Kenney, who supplied guns and ammunition to the film set, according to a filing Friday in a Los Angeles court.

    Baldwin’s complaint follows a suit filed against him and others on the set last year by script supervisor Mamie Mitchell over their alleged role in the shooting that caused her great emotional distress.

    In his suit, Baldwin accuses Gutierrez-Reed of failing to verify that a Colt revolver he was using in rehearsal was safe. The suit also states that Halls failed to check the weapon before he declared it safe and handed it to Baldwin, and that Zachry failed to ensure that weapons used on the New Mexico set were safe.

    All those named in the suit have denied any culpability.

    The gun Baldwin was holding during rehearsal — meant to be loaded only with blanks — instead discharged a live round, killing the 42-year-old Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

    Baldwin last month reached a civil settlement with Hutchins’ family, details of which have not been disclosed. A judge has not yet approved the settlement.

    ALSO READ | Alec Baldwin reaches settlement with shooting victim’s family

    Baldwin, who was a producer as well as the star of “Rust,” has previously said he did not pull the trigger, though an FBI report determined the gun could not have gone off otherwise.

    Production on the movie will resume in January, filmmakers have said, with Hutchins’ husband Matthew Hutchins taking on the role of executive producer.

    “I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame,” Hutchins said in an earlier statement. “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident.”

    Investigators in New Mexico have filed no criminal charges, but have not ruled them out.

    In August, Baldwin said he did not believe he would be charged.

    While there has never been any doubt that the gun was in Baldwin’s hands when it went off, it remains unclear how it came to be loaded with a live round.

    Gutierrez-Reed has sued the film’s ammunition supplier, accusing him of leaving real bullets among the dummy cartridges.

    The incident led to calls in Hollywood for guns to be permanently banned from sets.

    LOS ANGELES: American actor Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against four people involved in the Western film “Rust,” saying they were negligent in providing him with a gun that discharged, killing the movie’s cinematographer.

    The death on October 21, 2021 of Halyna Hutchins sent shock waves through Hollywood and gave rise to a series of civil suits.

    The 64-year-old Baldwin is suing the film’s armourer and props assistant, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed; assistant director David Halls; props master Sarah Zachry; and Seth Kenney, who supplied guns and ammunition to the film set, according to a filing Friday in a Los Angeles court.

    Baldwin’s complaint follows a suit filed against him and others on the set last year by script supervisor Mamie Mitchell over their alleged role in the shooting that caused her great emotional distress.

    In his suit, Baldwin accuses Gutierrez-Reed of failing to verify that a Colt revolver he was using in rehearsal was safe. The suit also states that Halls failed to check the weapon before he declared it safe and handed it to Baldwin, and that Zachry failed to ensure that weapons used on the New Mexico set were safe.

    All those named in the suit have denied any culpability.

    The gun Baldwin was holding during rehearsal — meant to be loaded only with blanks — instead discharged a live round, killing the 42-year-old Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

    Baldwin last month reached a civil settlement with Hutchins’ family, details of which have not been disclosed. A judge has not yet approved the settlement.

    ALSO READ | Alec Baldwin reaches settlement with shooting victim’s family

    Baldwin, who was a producer as well as the star of “Rust,” has previously said he did not pull the trigger, though an FBI report determined the gun could not have gone off otherwise.

    Production on the movie will resume in January, filmmakers have said, with Hutchins’ husband Matthew Hutchins taking on the role of executive producer.

    “I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame,” Hutchins said in an earlier statement. “All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident.”

    Investigators in New Mexico have filed no criminal charges, but have not ruled them out.

    In August, Baldwin said he did not believe he would be charged.

    While there has never been any doubt that the gun was in Baldwin’s hands when it went off, it remains unclear how it came to be loaded with a live round.

    Gutierrez-Reed has sued the film’s ammunition supplier, accusing him of leaving real bullets among the dummy cartridges.

    The incident led to calls in Hollywood for guns to be permanently banned from sets.

  • ‘Rust’ starring Alec Baldwin to resume production after fatal firearms incident

    By Express News Service

    The upcoming English film Rust is set to resume production in January after a year since the demise of cinematographer of the film Halyna Hutchins who died after being accidentally shot on the sets.

    However, the production will not resume in New Mexico where the probe is currently undergoing. While the production is still looking for a new place, Rust has probablities being shot in California, as per Melina Spadone, the attorney of Rust Movie Productions LLC.

    As per reports, the production company of Rust had announced a settlement for Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s husband and it was agreed that the production would resume after a 15-month hiatus. He had also said in a statement that to wrap up Hust would be a way to “to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work”.

    Halyna was shot dead on the sets of Rust during preparation of a scene with actor Alec Baldwin. The incident took place on October 21, 2021. The gun was fired by Alec, who was told that the gun was “cold”.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

    The upcoming English film Rust is set to resume production in January after a year since the demise of cinematographer of the film Halyna Hutchins who died after being accidentally shot on the sets.

    However, the production will not resume in New Mexico where the probe is currently undergoing. While the production is still looking for a new place, Rust has probablities being shot in California, as per Melina Spadone, the attorney of Rust Movie Productions LLC.

    As per reports, the production company of Rust had announced a settlement for Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s husband and it was agreed that the production would resume after a 15-month hiatus. He had also said in a statement that to wrap up Hust would be a way to “to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work”.

    Halyna was shot dead on the sets of Rust during preparation of a scene with actor Alec Baldwin. The incident took place on October 21, 2021. The gun was fired by Alec, who was told that the gun was “cold”.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

  • Alec Baldwin expects no charges over fatal movie set accident

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: US actor Alec Baldwin said he does not believe anyone will be criminally charged over the fatal shooting on the set of Western film “Rust,” telling CNN he has hired a private investigator to assess culpability for the tragedy.

    Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died after being hit by a live round that came from a gun Baldwin was holding as he rehearsed on the New Mexico set of the low-budget movie last October.

    A criminal investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, and prosecutors have not yet ruled out charges against those involved.

    “I sincerely believe… (investigators are) going to say that this was an accident. It’s tragic,” said Baldwin in a rare interview about the episode, a portion of which was aired Friday.

    Baldwin told CNN he had replayed the events leading up to the shooting over and over for the past 10 months.

    While insisting he does not want to “condemn” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film set’s armourer and props assistant, Baldwin pointed the finger of blame at her and assistant director Dave Halls, who handed him the gun moments before the shooting.

    “Someone put a live bullet in the gun who should have known better,” Baldwin said.

    “That was (Gutierrez-Reed’s) job. Her job was to look at the ammunition and put in the dummy round or the blank round, and there wasn’t supposed to be any live rounds on the set.

    “There are two people who didn’t do what they were supposed to do,” he added.

    “I’m not sitting there saying I want them to, you know, go to prison, or I want their lives to be hell.

    “I don’t want that, but I want everybody to know that those are the two people that are responsible for what happened.”

    Multiple lawsuits

    Baldwin, who was both the star and a producer of “Rust,” has been the subject of a number of civil lawsuits over the shooting, including from Hutchins’s family.

    He has previously said he was told the gun contained no live ammunition, had been instructed by Hutchins to point the gun in her direction, and did not pull the trigger.

    But a recent FBI forensic report concluded that the gun could not have been fired “without a pull of the trigger.”

    Meanwhile, Gutierrez-Reed has sued the film’s ammunition supplier, accusing him of leaving real bullets among the dummy cartridges.

    On Thursday, her lawyer criticized the FBI for failing to carry out DNA or fingerprint testing to establish who had handled the live rounds found on set.

    “It is inconceivable that the sheriff would not seek answers to this fundamental question and it raises a serious problem with the entire investigation,” said a statement from Jason Bowles.

    Following Baldwin’s latest interview, lawyers for both Gutierrez-Reed and Halls told CNN that the actor was trying to deflect blame away from himself.

    Baldwin also used the CNN interview to address former US President Donald Trump’s public intimation that he could have killed Hutchins on purpose.

    Trump last year told a podcast that Baldwin — who frequently impersonated and ridiculed the president on “Saturday Night Live” — was a “troubled guy,” suggesting that “maybe he loaded” the gun.

    Baldwin told CNN he was consequently worried that some of Trump’s supporters would “come and kill me.”

    “Here was Trump, who instructed people to commit acts of violence, and he was pointing the finger at me and saying I was responsible for the death,” said Baldwin.

    “There is just this torrent of people attacking me who don’t know the facts.”

    LOS ANGELES: US actor Alec Baldwin said he does not believe anyone will be criminally charged over the fatal shooting on the set of Western film “Rust,” telling CNN he has hired a private investigator to assess culpability for the tragedy.

    Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died after being hit by a live round that came from a gun Baldwin was holding as he rehearsed on the New Mexico set of the low-budget movie last October.

    A criminal investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, and prosecutors have not yet ruled out charges against those involved.

    “I sincerely believe… (investigators are) going to say that this was an accident. It’s tragic,” said Baldwin in a rare interview about the episode, a portion of which was aired Friday.

    Baldwin told CNN he had replayed the events leading up to the shooting over and over for the past 10 months.

    While insisting he does not want to “condemn” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film set’s armourer and props assistant, Baldwin pointed the finger of blame at her and assistant director Dave Halls, who handed him the gun moments before the shooting.

    “Someone put a live bullet in the gun who should have known better,” Baldwin said.

    “That was (Gutierrez-Reed’s) job. Her job was to look at the ammunition and put in the dummy round or the blank round, and there wasn’t supposed to be any live rounds on the set.

    “There are two people who didn’t do what they were supposed to do,” he added.

    “I’m not sitting there saying I want them to, you know, go to prison, or I want their lives to be hell.

    “I don’t want that, but I want everybody to know that those are the two people that are responsible for what happened.”

    Multiple lawsuits

    Baldwin, who was both the star and a producer of “Rust,” has been the subject of a number of civil lawsuits over the shooting, including from Hutchins’s family.

    He has previously said he was told the gun contained no live ammunition, had been instructed by Hutchins to point the gun in her direction, and did not pull the trigger.

    But a recent FBI forensic report concluded that the gun could not have been fired “without a pull of the trigger.”

    Meanwhile, Gutierrez-Reed has sued the film’s ammunition supplier, accusing him of leaving real bullets among the dummy cartridges.

    On Thursday, her lawyer criticized the FBI for failing to carry out DNA or fingerprint testing to establish who had handled the live rounds found on set.

    “It is inconceivable that the sheriff would not seek answers to this fundamental question and it raises a serious problem with the entire investigation,” said a statement from Jason Bowles.

    Following Baldwin’s latest interview, lawyers for both Gutierrez-Reed and Halls told CNN that the actor was trying to deflect blame away from himself.

    Baldwin also used the CNN interview to address former US President Donald Trump’s public intimation that he could have killed Hutchins on purpose.

    Trump last year told a podcast that Baldwin — who frequently impersonated and ridiculed the president on “Saturday Night Live” — was a “troubled guy,” suggesting that “maybe he loaded” the gun.

    Baldwin told CNN he was consequently worried that some of Trump’s supporters would “come and kill me.”

    “Here was Trump, who instructed people to commit acts of violence, and he was pointing the finger at me and saying I was responsible for the death,” said Baldwin.

    “There is just this torrent of people attacking me who don’t know the facts.”

  • Film producers defend safety in Alec Baldwin shooting

    By Associated Press

    SANTA FE: A film production company is contesting sanctions by New Mexico officials for alleged workplace safety violations on the set of “Rust,” where actor and producer Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer in October, according to filings posted Wednesday by state regulators.

    Rust Movie Productions is challenging the basis of a $137,000 fine against the company by state occupational safety regulators who say production managers on the set of the Western film failed to follow standard industry protocols for firearms safety.

    At a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins inside a small church during setup for the filming of a scene when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

    Baldwin said in a December interview with ABC News that he was pointing the gun at Hutchins at her instruction when it went off without his pulling the trigger.

    “The law properly permits producers to delegate such critical functions as firearm safety to experts in that field and does not place such responsibility on producers whose expertise is in arranging financing and contracting for the logistics of filming,” Rust Movie Productions said in its filing. The company “did not ‘willfully’ violate any safety protocol, and in fact enforced all applicable safety protocols.”

    In April, New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau imposed the maximum fine against Rust Movie Productions and distributed a scathing narrative of safety failures, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires of blank ammunition onset prior to the fatal shooting.

    The bureau also documented gun safety complaints from crew members that went unheeded and said weapons specialists were not allowed to make decisions about additional safety training.

    Rust Movie Productions responded in its filing by saying that misfires prior to the fatal shooting of Hutchins did not violate safety protocols and that “appropriate corrective actions were taken, including briefings of cast and crew.”

    “In fact, a safety meeting was held the morning of the incident,” the company said, apparently referring to the shooting of Hutchins. The filing does not elaborate further.

    Rust Movie Productions also is challenging allegations that film set armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was overburdened, asserting that she had sufficient time to properly inspect and safeguard all firearms and ammunition on set. The production company cites comments by a costume designer who said Reed had “plenty of time” to do her job properly.

    State investigators say that Gutierrez Reed was limited to eight paid days as an armorer to oversee weapons and training, and was assigned otherwise to lighter duties as a props assistant. As her time as an armorer ran out, Gutierrez Reed warned a manager and was rebuffed.

    The sheriff investigating the fatal film-set shooting has described disorganization and neglected safety measures in the making of the low-budget movie. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza has said he is waiting on a forensic analysis of the weapon, projectile, fingerprints and more from the FBI and state medical examiners before turning the case over to prosecutors to decide whether criminal charges will be filed.

    State findings and sanctions against Rust Movie Productions hold implications for at least five lawsuits that have been filed over the shooting, including a wrongful death suit brought by Hutchins’ family against Baldwin and the movie’s other producers.

    The lawsuit on behalf of widower Matt Hutchins and his 9-year-old son alleges a “callous” disregard in the face of safety complaints on the set.

    The state fines would apply to a film with a budget of about $7 million. Baldwin was assigned a salary of $250,000 as an actor and producer and may have put some of that money back into the production.

    Rust Movie Productions says in its filing that all personnel on set were instructed that they had the authority to cease activities at any time until safety concerns were resolved, with film union stewards on-site to ensure compliance with labor-union safety protocols.