Prosecutors have formally charged Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed with two counts each of involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 shooting on the set of “Rust.”
Earlier this month, Santa Fe prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies announced that her office intended to file formal charges for the incident that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead.
According to KRQE, charging documents stated that assistant director David Halls, who signed a plea deal earlier in the month, gave Baldwin the gun and that armorer Gutierrez Reed was responsible for overseeing weapons on set.
The incident happened on October 21, 2021, when Baldwin was preparing for a scene and a Colt .45 fired, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and seriously wounding the director Joel Souza. Baldwin claimed that he didn’t fire the gun but an FBI investigation deemed the gun to be in working order. There were meant to be dummy rounds in the gun; instead there was a live round in the chamber.
On Tuesday the prosecution detailed the case against both defendants, which were filed with the court. Attorneys for both defendants have asserted their innocence.
“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice,” Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, said when the charges were announced. “We will fight these charges and we will win.”
At various times during the investigation Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed have blamed each other for the accidental shooting. Now they’re in it together – they must make a “first appearance” in New Mexico court (although they can do it via Zoom). They also have the right to a preliminary hearing within 60 days. Involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony in New Mexico.
