This investigation seems to have taken a long time to reach a decision on indictment. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was shot by actor Alec Baldwin in New Mexico on October 21st, 2021.
According to media reports today, Mr. Baldwin is going to be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
(USA Today) – Alec Baldwin will be charged in the 2021 shooting death of a cinematographer during a rehearsal on the New Mexico set of his Western movie “Rust,” the Santa Fe district attorney announced Thursday.
Baldwin, 64, who was holding the gun at the time it fired, and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb said in a news release.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, died shortly after being wounded by a gunshot while setting up a scene at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a prop pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the film’s director, Joel Souza.
Assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun that day, signed a plea deal for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, according to the DA’s office. He has a suspended sentence and six months probation.
No charges will be filed in the shooting of Souza.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys Jason Bowles and Todd J. Bullion said in a statement provided to USA TODAY, “Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.
[…] In announcing the charges, Carmack-Altwies said, “After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew. On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Andrea Reeb, special prosecutor appointed by the DA to the case, added: “If any one of these three people – Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls – had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple.
“The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the ‘Rust’ film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously,” Reeb added.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who led the initial investigation into Hutchins’ death, described “a degree of neglect” on the film set. But he left decisions about potential criminal charges to prosecutors after delivering the results of a yearlong investigation in October. That report did not specify how live ammunition wound up on the film set. (read more)
I feel a divorce coming next…..
she better get him before the dead womens’ family does or mrs. baldwin may end up with bupkis.
Props for the use of “bupkis”!
I read her family made some form of a settlement last month wording her death as an “accident” in it…..if this is so, standard protocol before any money traded hands would be for a waiver to be signed releasing him from responsibility from them in future civil actions
The family releasing him from liability in any future civil action would have no bearing on whether a prosecutor can charge him criminally.
did you see my comment was a RESPONSE to a post about the family suing him?…..you should learn to read things in CONTEXT
Snarky.
Didn’t know that before I posted about the civil suit aspect. 👍
Too late for that.
…he has to check himself into Rehab first.
The Trump Karma boomerang
An insufferable libtard who doesn’t take firearm safety seriously?
Yeah, it’s boomerang time for that guy.
Well, well…here comes Hubris, and her bitchy sister Karma.
All arrows fired at Trump kill the archer.
Seems like a reasonable charge. I imagine there will be some king of plea deal unless he is hoping for a jury who will find him innocent no matter what. That would be very risky in my opinion, as the case against him seems pretty strong.
He also isn’t likeable.
Good point.
But he thinks he is. Likeable and adored.
Delusional, like the guy who thinks he won from his basement.
I guess he is by many Demoncrats.
That’s an understatement.
I wonder if Keanu Reeves has someone prepare his prop firearms that he really trusts for his John Wick series or he does it himself. One actual round in one magazine could wind up being being a very bad day. The MSM says he’s a really nice guy though.
Watching Keanu train with real firearms is pretty amazing, he really is a badass with gunfighting. And yes, he is apparently a rare bird in Hollywood – a nice person who treats people like they are people and not below them.
Both, I believe. Reeves verifies the armorer’s work.
I’ve seen Reeves work, wouldn’t be surprised if he was the armorer too..
Union rules. Performers can’t load their own weapons. Film shoots are insured you know. Armorers are part of the props department, and the production has to carry all kinds of liability insurance.
Keanu would never put a crew member at risk of losing their job by violating the safety rules. Baldwin’s not as nice, but I doubt he would either.
Not sure about that. If he had just picked the gun up and it discharged and she was incidentally struck and killed I’d buy involuntary manslaughter. The problem is that he picked the gun up and aimed it in her direction. Not seeing involuntary there.
Involuntary in that he can claim he had every reason to believe the gun was NOT equipped with real bullets.
The problem with that logic is that he “voluntarily” did not check to see if the weapon was loaded.
And, if he claims he didn’t know the procedure, then he “voluntarily” took a weapon without being trained on how to handle it.
There is a long chain of events between getting handled a gun to pulling the trigger…
And then you got the fact he was also a producer for the movie… that’s yet another chain of responsibilities… even if Baldwin, the actor, did not know that he needed to take a course to handle the gun safely, Baldwin, the producer, was responsible to ensure that everybody in the set who required such training had it.
The guy is hosed.
She was the camera woman. He aimed at the camera.
And missed.
The charge is too light. It’s negligent homicide. There was nothing “involuntary” about his actions in the least. He pointed a weapon directly at someone and pulled the trigger. Thinking that it was unloaded is not an excuse. It was negligent of him to believe certain things, but it was definitely not “involuntary.”
You are correct, but I’m amazed he was charged at all.
NM does not have negligent homicide on their criminal books.
Oh, I think the case against him is weak. Remember this is a criminal case, so the standard for conviction is high. Baldwin’s going to be acquitted, because the prosecutors can’t likely prove beyond reasonable doubt that he knew there was live ammo in the gun. He was rehearsing for camera. It makes no sense that he would knowingly point a loaded weapon at his cinematographer and director, nor even at that valuable and expensive camera. The theory has no ring of truth.
The pistol was handed to him, already loaded, by an inexperienced armorer who had only done one film previously. THAT woman, who was equally charged, will be found guilty, or will plead down.
Sorry, haters. Don’t let your emotions cloud your understanding of the facts of a case. That Baldwin is an unlikable schmuck is not a chargeable offense.
But Baldwin was also the director/producer and as such was responsible for supervising the set. He hired the extremely inexperienced “armorer”. So, it’s a paradox. He’s still responsible.
Is Baldwin an involuntary schmuck or a negligent schmuck?
Baldwin’s real problem is that he was a producer as well.
As a producer he was responsible that every one handling a gun on the set had the appropriate training.
If Baldwin didn’t get the training, then Baldwin the producer is guilty.
If Baldwin the actor got the training, then he is guilty.
FILTHY LIBERALS shouldn’t handle firearms. They can’t even handle reality.
Filthy liberals priceless and spot on thanks
R.d.
Like Mike Myersaid on SNL, He’s gonna end up with a size 7 Poop Chute.
I agree with Gun Control. Libpukes should be banned for life from thinking about them. No more violent movies, video games or Gangsta Rap “music”.. Their feeble faculties are incompatible with firearm possession. I wouldn’t hand a leftard an airsoft rifle.
I think as a rule, anyone who wants to ban guns and especially anyone who thinks he should have them but not anyone else should be banned from handling guns. Quite simple.
Um, boomerang?
lol just kidding.
Firearms safety rules say to never point a weapon at a person. He had a duty to verify it was not loaded with live ammo. So, imo he should be found guilty.
In a same world this would change the way most actors handle firearms on the set.
To be fair, if you can’t tell a man from a woman how can you be expected to know a loaded gun from a baloney sanwich?
Did they let it hang for so long to maximize the squeeze and then just indicted anyway?
Seriously this anti gun nut charged with a gun crime just proves its the person not the gun.
You can bet the New Mexico prosecutor did not wan to charge a fellow lefty with anything, but public pressure probably required it.
How did live .45 Colt ammo get on a movie set???
That is the question I keep asking myself. If it was “just a prop” why would there even be actual ammo to be concerned about?
But what do I know…just a Navy EOD veteran.
Numerous articles and statements from people on the set indicate the “armorer” and others had been target practicing and fooling around with pistols the evening before using live ammo.
Im a navy veteran as well (TM1(SS)) so I’ve taken the Little Creek RSO courses. As I understand it the crew during off hours had unauthorized access to the small arms storage and were “Plinking” at bottles or something (they were in the middle of the desert after all so not unlikely). Some unused live rounds ended up being left in a weapon and mixed in with the “Fake” dummy rounds.
Incredibly stupid thing to do much less allow to happen.
That is why the head armorer on the set was also charged.
THAT is what I want to know. There shouldn’t be live ammo anywhere on a movie set.
The theory I heard was that the cast and crew did some target shooting for entertainment. Yes, the irony in that sentence just reeks.
It’s for scenes where a stand in, professional shooter, will shoot bottles off fence posts and other targets.
Usually that is tightly controlled by the director and armorer so there is only live ammo on set for those scenes, and the scenes will be shot (no pun intended) on the same day.
There are other scenes where professionals will stand in for the cast and shoot bottles off fence posts etc….
That question was answered long ago — they were using it for recreational shooting.
For a single action revolver to operate one pulls back the hammer and then pull the trigger to discharge the round.
The year long investigation was to tried a figure a way to absolve Baldwin which due to the mechanical operation of the pistol was impossible.
Alex wasn’t schooled on the 4 rules of gun safety.
Per Eric Hunley and Mark Groubert Alex’s father was his high school rifle teams trainer/teacher. I would think his dad taught him a lot about guns. If so, I hope he’s held to a higher standard given he might have some expertise in the field.
First this an instructor would teach is the rules of gun safety.
More likely this has to do with timing. The news media is a weapon against the public. Distraction, distraction, distraction.
The story is mostly irrelevant and anyone who knows the reality of such cases knew: (1) that he would be charged and (2) that he would get a MUCH lesser charge than he deserved.
Why wait on such a thing? Because it’s useful to use it at a moment when a distraction is needed.
I’m sure he will say Trump drove him to it. LOL Let’s see him be convicted and actually serve time. (Doubt he will.) I feel sorry for his children.
This is good.
What I really wonder, though, is how a prop gun ended up being loaded with real bullets. *That* has the makings of a first degree murder case.
It seems there was Columbo where just that happened.
I wonder if Hutchins’ family will file a wrongful death civil suit.
Actually, scumbag Baldwin settled with Halyna Hutchins’ family in October 2022, and I’m pretty sure his scumbag lawyers made it watertight, so he’s off a further hook at least in this regard.
Oof.
Sounds like a safe charge they can get a plea deal or conviction on. The civil actions will grind on for some time most likely. Probably not what old Alec had planned for his twilight years. If only Hollywood could practice the anti-gun mantra they preach. Violence sells. Money is a hard drug.
OK , roll out the next distraction…..
Meanwhile Joe’s out in the garage.
I have worked on a number of movie and television sets in New Mexico. It is a mad house in many ways, yet there are rigid protocols on sets, etc. This is a serious business of entertainment where making money is the goal of many. New Mexico loves the monies spent in this state…a lot!
The widower was given an Executive Producer position in the continuing production of the movie Rust where his wife was shot and killed by Alec. Was that a message to the Santa Fe DA? Looks like if it was, it did not work to offer Alec a side step away from any charges.
I have read that multiple hundred page report: Fast production, new crew, tight budget and wanna be big shots all were baked into this sad and tragic production. The fabulous FBI could not make this gun “misfire” with all the talent they had back in Washington, DC. Alec’s inner circle of friends could not find the “juice” to help him with the legal system in New Mexico, my home state! And this state is really hard core democrat, hard core to the bone!
Time now for some hot shot lawyers to step up and keep Alec out of the slammer! How big is his bank account? How much does he love his freedom and all those kids who want Daddy to be around? Will the widower ever see this movie re-started where he gets some monies as his name rolls across the screen as one of the Executive Producers?
The Assistant Director Halls has copped a plea deal. He knows he messed up. Will this move save his career? The girl who was the armorer knows her lifestyle was a major problem, how much will she pay for it? Will Alec now fly back to New Mexico and face the charges plus have a press conference outside of the Court?
I sense another movie in the making…a tragedy for sure. I recommend Alec see a Plastic Surgeon to get the fat bags under his eyes removed as best as possible; he is going to age faster than a Kardasian can make a porn film!
And of course our dear Governor needs to gather up all her movie and television pals to assure them the State loves their monies, etc. I wonder what giveaways she might propose?
There is a reason great artists come to New Mexico. Alec will not stop them.
My prediction:
Pleas guilty, sentenced to probation and community service (he’s suffered enough, etc.)
Netflix movie to make Baldwin look like a nice guy, with supporting actor parts for DA and judge playing themselves.
Baldwin goes to Whitehouse to talk about gun control.
When actors have to do community service, it is usually is making lame public interest commercials.
Then there’s that “little hideaway” that Jeffrey Epstein had that blue state…
R.J.; what was the armorers “lifestyle” that was a problem? Did you happen to see the YT video that John Schneider put out shortly after the incident, detailing all the proper set protocols with a gun; proving that this never would have happened if they All were taking a loaded gun seriously and followed safety rules.
Listen closely when this tragedy comes to Court as they paint a picture of this woman armorer and you will learn what I meant about “lifestyle” in easy language, direct to the point , etc..
I believe that’ll be five years in the hoosegow Mr. Baldwin.
He could face 18 months. BFD
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/alec-baldwin-charged-involuntary-manslaughter-fatal-rust-shooting-district-attorney
Ah, but the civil lawsuits will bankrupt him.
My cup runneth over….
those that are local say weapon enhancement exigent circumstances can bump that to a 5 year minimum
No offense, but I wold not wish to serve one day in the pen, let along 18 months. Tell the J6’ers that 18 month for muthin is nuthin. Just sayin.
I doubt this deranged man would serve any time, but if he ends up doing time it wouldn’t be anything like what the J6er’s have been subject to. They have been treated as Old USSR political prisoners have been treated. Baldwin would go to some country club type place, and while that still isn’t living free, it is far better than regular prisons are.
“Baldwin was pointing a real pistol at Hutchins when he pulled the trigger.” is how it should read.
Thank you! I read that and immediately had to post how dumb and infuriating it is.
a real pistol with real ammo….but according to him it pulled its own trigger
He should do time.
He killed someone accident or not.
He is ultimately responsible.
That’s called “reckless endangerment” I believe.
Reckless endangerment is an additional charge would could be added, but it is negligent homicide. They don’t have to prove anything beyond what is already known based on his claims alone. He pointed a firearm. He intentionally pulled back the hammer. He had his finger on the trigger when the firearm actuated.
Negligent Homicide. Prison time though it can vary from being a misdemeanor to being a felony and sentence ranging from probation to prison time. In my opinion, however, this wasn’t an accident in the sense that everything which happened was normal.
A typical application of this charge might be hitting someone with a car where a pedestrian was jaywalking.
This situation was abnormal from the start and required a series of conditions to make it happen.
IMHO, just watching most of Alec’s “work” is reckless endangerment.
“ Baldwin was pointing a prop pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off”
This type of writing or talking point supremely pisses me off.
Guns don’t “go off”. They fire when the trigger gets pulled. It’s why you assume every gun is loaded at all times, you don’t point it at anything you don’t want to shoot, and you keep your finger off of the trigger until you’re ready to fire.
🤦♂️
Or in some cases, your thumb off the hammer.
USA Today: ‘She was wounded by the gun’ and ‘the gun went off’. Clearly, agenda-driven reporting
Yes, it’s always a passive act, unless it’s PDJT.
He will lose his right to legally vote. For a political hack like him, it will be a punishment worst than being forced to clean up the stage after a Trump rally.
doubt he’s ever voted.
they probably did not want to deal with the mindless Left in NM but an argument for VOLUNTARY manslaughter could easily be made…….Baldwin was engaged in reckless endangerment by his unprovoked actions that day
Lock him up!
I wonder how many times Baldwin has called for Trump to be criminally charged just because…
Lefties protecting their own at the intersection of gun violence and lefty darlings.
Baldwin will plead and get off with suspended sentence and probation, or the prosecution will purposefully torpedo their own case in an attempt to get him acquitted.
Baldwin will continue to claim that the gun went off all by itself, since people don’t kill people, guns kill people, unless they are the wrong kind of people like Kyle Rittenhouse.
That’s jury duty I would volunteer for.
Libs all do the same thing.
Baldwind says he didn’t pull the trigger of the gun so the gun decided to go off on its own.
Biteme says he didn’t know about any top secret docs in his unsecured garage so the top secret docs decided to visit him on their own.
They NEVER take responsibility for their own actions. Never.
They will some day! God doesn’t let anybody off the hook (unless you accept His Son as payment for your sins).
Baldwin’s statements about the ‘Rust’ shooting to the media over the last year-and-a-half may come back to haunt him.
‘The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger.’
For the legal beagles out there; what is the legal distinction (including penalties) for involuntary homicide versus negligent homicide?
Or are they essentially the same?
involuntary manslaughter vs negligent homicide. The latter fits the facts in this case.
But hey, let’s talk about the common outcomes of a lighter charge of “negligent discharge” and how regular people would be treated under such. in California law—meaning that it may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. This is not California but you can be quite sure he supports California law… unless it applies to him.
In his case, he’s likely to get off lighter for KILLING someone than others who just fire a weapon with no harm at all to anyone or anything.
Gotta have the trial first, than we can talk about karma and justice.
This is a “man” who once referred to his own daughter as a “thoughtless little pig”.
I guess it runs in the family.
Methinks he labored so long to develop his hate-against-conservatives; that it spilled over into every area of his miserable life to develop hate for people in general and
when he had his finger on the trigger with a split second to ponder, “is this really safe? did the prop crew prep using safety first no matter what? we’ve been lax around here so maybe not …”
he mentally shrugged his weak, cowardly shoulders and due to his metastasized hate and indifference, pulled the trigger, devoid of any thought for the life in his sights.
Some how some way this scumbag Child of Lucifer will find a way to blame Trump for all this.
Captain , he’s turning ……..
CRAZY IVAN !
Justice. Thus far, that is.
“ Baldwin was pointing a prop pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off,”
No, it was quite obviously a real pistol, and it not just ‘go off.’
He PULLED THE TRIGGER.
Distraction-op, pre-written scripts await director’s hand-sign, msm logged-in, breathless psychobabble for the tele-tubbies :-)) Looks like a bottom-of-the-barrel op. Is something scaring the ghost-train operators to have to rely on this trivia?
I have wondered from the start, did this even happen? I watched the George Steppanopolis interview when it first came out. What if Baldwin was told you can even go on TV and tell the truth. You can say you didn’t shoot the pistol because maybe he really didn’t shoot it.
Imagine the torment he could be experiencing. You never shot and killed one person, you never shot and injured a second person yet the whole world doesn’t believe you.
Secluded film set way out in the desert.
From what I remember there was some kind of stage hand or actor strike so who was actually working behind the scenes?
No video from what I know of yet it was an “actual film set” and everybody on the planet has a mini video camera nowadays in their pocket.
Baldwin allegedly shoots two people killing one yet he is allowed to run around out in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Department yakking on his cell phone. I don’t think this is normal police investigatory procedure anywhere, yet there are plenty of dramatic pictures of that.
I’m not saying this never happened but could other things be going on here? Call me crazy. Call me loony. But remember they convinced millions of people to take a poison injection for a 99.9x% survivability virus.
So…how much of a fine will he have to pay?
1. Idiot Lib plays with unloaded gun.
2. Idiot Lib kills someone.
3. Other Idiot Libs demand gun bans because of Idiot Lib playing with gun.
I want to pose a completely Constitutional question: How is one charged with “two” counts of involuntary homicide, when only one person was killed?
Don’t get me wrong, I hope the scumbag gets his time in the gray bar hotel. But, my question points to the issue of we have in America of “charge stacking”.
One for Baldwin and one for the armorer
Both were charged with two counts. The two charges are not identical, and the jury must decide which one applies.
Neither party will be convicted of both counts.
1st rule of gun safety is never, ever point a gun at someone unless you intend to shoot them. Not only did he point the gun at her he pulled the trigger. There is no excuse for doing either.
let us not forget he pulled back the hammer.
World class hypocrite.
If this happened with anyone else, they’d have been charged immediately. It was incredibly obvious from the start. Is he a Democrat by chance?
I hold the trigger personally responsible.
That morning of the shooting, before the shooting, apparently many people had walked off the set in protest over conditions. That had to be maddening to Baldwin.
Baldwin is known for having angry/violent outbursts in public.
I have wondered since that day whether Baldwin’s action was an immediate reaction to something Halyna Hutchins had said. It was reported that the Baldwin had pointed the weapon directly at her and pulled the trigger, and it was not part of the script.
Just wondering what the conversation was immediately before he discharged the weapon, and if that conversation set him off.
Involuntary manslaughter is 100% appropriate. Alec Baldwin did not intend to kill Helyna Hutchins, but he did behave in a manner which showed reckless disregard for safety. Pointing the gun at her and pulling the trigger was a clear and brazen violation of industry safety rules, his belief that it was a ‘cold gun’ has no bearing.
It is plausible that Baldwin ‘shot’ her out of frustration because he didn’t like the way she was conducting herself on set and resentment about the way she was treating him. He believed the gun was ‘cold’ and nothing would happen, but he never should have done what he did. I bet he gets a suspended sentence and probation, but jail time should be on the table.
Ditto the charges against the armorer and others involved in the chain of events that led to a loaded gun on the set. Nobody meant for it to happen, but their negligence made it possible.
Will the magic get out of trouble word ‘intent’ be a mitigant in the next stage?
He’s looking at, as per their statutes, 5 years, because it was with a firearm.
Otherwise, their maximum penalty for a fourth degree felony, which this is, is 18 months and a $5,000 fine.
He won’t go to trial..bet he pleads nolo contendre, which is admitting no guilt, but taking the plea as in his best interests. Pleading nolo in the criminal case is for the civil trial that is forthcoming (probably).
nolo contendre = GUILTY in a criminal trial without offering up a plea of guilty for civil proceedings
You are correct; I said it wrong! 👍
Pulled trigger or not, why was it pointed at the cinematographer at all?
Who is going to insure his production company now? Would cost a fortune to indemnify this sanctimonious snob.
It seems to me he should have been charged with involuntary manslaughter straight off, pending other charges.
The woman was dead by his hand.
well NM has gone Lefty Loonie so their thought processes are not the most efficient….it took them 16 months to come to a conclusion a 10 year old could have given them the day of the event
Today is great day.
However, a small part of me thinks he will still get a slap on the wrist. Whatever happens, that civil suit, whenever it comes(cuz you know it’s coming) is gonna be big.
Well well well. What hath karma brought for Mr. Bigmouth? Let’s hope he gets sent to a real prison and learns the proper application of grease in a cell block. Well deserved fate for a true believer.