SANTA FE, NM (AP) — Prosecutors planned to file manslaughter charges Tuesday in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the set of a 2021 western.
Photographer Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being shot on a ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico on October 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a gun at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing and injuring her the director of the film. .
In recent weeks, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed two sets of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting against Baldwin and firearms supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
The district attorney said Monday through a spokesman that his office will release the indictments and a probable cause statement outlining the evidence. Hutchins’ death has already led to new security measures in the film industry.
Manslaughter can involve a homicide that occurs while the defendant is doing something legal but dangerous and acting negligently or without caution. Special prosecutor Andrea Reeb cited a pattern of “criminal disregard for safety” on the set of “Rust.”
Prosecutors also said they would release the terms of a plea deal signed with assistant director David Halls, who oversaw security at the film shoot. Participants in the unfilmed trials gave conflicting accounts of who gave Baldwin the gun.
Halls agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon, they said.
Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement Monday that prosecutors are “fully focused on getting justice for Halyna Hutchins” and “the evidence and the facts speak for themselves.”
Baldwin, also a co-producer of “Rust,” described the murder as a tragic accident. The 64-year-old actor said he was told the gun was safe and sought to clear his name by suing those involved in handling and supplying the loaded .45 caliber revolver.
In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working with Hutchins on the camera angles, he pointed the gun in her direction and stepped back and released the hammer of the gun, which discharged.
Defense attorney Jason Bowles, who represents Gutierrez-Reed, said the charges are the result of a “flawed investigation” and an “imprecise understanding of all the facts.”
Defendants can participate remotely in many initial court proceedings or request a waiver of first appearance.
Manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law. The second set of manslaughter charges involve recklessness with a provision that could result in a mandatory five-year prison term because the crime was committed with a gun.
The decision to indict Baldwin marks a stunning turnaround for a leading actor whose 40-year career has included the hit film “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role on the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances . in “The Departed” by Martin Scorsese and a film adaptation of “Glengary Glen Ross” by David Mamet. In recent years, Baldwin has been known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”
