Alec Baldwin Believes He Won’t Be Charged With On-Set Shooting?

Alec Baldwin has made another statement about the fatal on-set shooting incident on the movie Rust and what he thinks is going to happen.

By Douglas Helm | Published

alec baldwin rust

The investigation surrounding Alec Baldwin and the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is gradually wrapping, and Baldwin seems to believe that he won’t be charged. The on-set shooting of Halyna Hutchins happened in October of 2021 when Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the film Rust. Members of the cast and crew were on an Old West set in Santa Fe, New Mexico when the incident occurred. A prop gun he was rehearsing with went off and hit Hutchins, fatally wounding her and wounding director Joel Souza as well. In a recent interview with CNN, Baldwin indicated that he believes authorities will conclude that Hutchin’s death was an accident.

Alec Baldwin also believes that Rust armorer and props assistant Hannah Gutierrez Reed and assistant director Dave Halls won’t be charged for the death either. However, Baldwin also said that “neither one of them should ever work in a film set again,” but that he doesn’t want to “condemn them.” Baldwin had previously placed the responsibility for the accident on Gutierrez Reed since she was the armorer in the film. He also placed blame on Halls, since he handed Baldwin the gun. Baldwin has previously stated that he had not pulled the trigger of the gun and that he only pulled the hammer back. An administrative complaint was filed by the New Mexico environment department’s occupational health and safety bureau against the production company. In the complaint, it says that Halls was supposed to notify Gutierrez Reed when Baldwin arrived on set, so a safety check could be conducted. Allegedly, the gun was just handed to Baldwin. As of August 11, the FBI forensics analysis and medical investigator’s report were completed and are now under review.

Rust, which is written and directed by Joel Souza, stars Alec Baldwin, Travis Fimmel, and Jensen Ackles. The movie follows a boy and his younger brother going on the run with their grandfather after he’s sentenced to hang. Following the on-set shooting, production on Rust immediately shut down. Baldwin has indicated that he wants to finish shooting the film and donate some of the proceeds to Matthew Hutchins, the son that Halyna leaves behind. Hutchins’ widower is also suing the film’s production company. As for Baldwin, he said that he has lost various roles as a result of the on-set shooting. In the interview, he says he’s lost as many as five jobs since the incident. Baldwin has said that he will no longer use prop guns on set in the future and will rely on digital effects instead.

While Alec Baldwin may or may not be charged for the on-set shooting, the most recent development in the ongoing news around the incident is when former President Donald Trump indicated publicly that Baldwin had shot Hutchins on purpose. Baldwin has famously played Trump on Saturday Night Live in several skits. Since those comments, Baldwin has said that he fears for his safety.

It remains to be seen what the official conclusion of the investigation into Alec Baldwin and the crew members of Rust will be. Baldwin may quit the industry altogether as a result of the incident. He wrapped up the interview by saying that he thinks about the incident every day of his life.