Alec Baldwin Faces Involuntary Manslaughter Charge Over Rust Tragedy
Prosecutors in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, revealed on Thursday that Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter. The charge relates to the deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust.
Baldwin Denies Wrongdoing
Baldwin insists he did nothing wrong. He says he was merely rehearsing how to position the pistol for a “cross draw” scene in a chapel while director Joel Souza and Hutchins arranged camera angles. Yet, the tragic accident claimed Hutchins’ life.
Live Bullets on Set Spark Investigation
Detectives from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office found a dangerous mix of dummy and live rounds scattered on the Rust set. This flagrantly broke industry safety rules. Prosecutor Carmack-Altwies flagged this as critical, saying, “Determining how the live rounds got to the set will be one of the most important factors going into a charging decision.”
Wrongful Death Lawsuit and Settlement
Hutchins’ family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin back in February, blaming him for the death since he was “the person holding the weapon.” The suit was quietly settled in October for an undisclosed amount, days before the criminal charges were announced.