Alec Baldwin Responds To News He Could Go To Jail
Alec Baldwin, via his attorney, has said that he has not received any word yet that he will be prosecuted in the shooting on the set of Rust
Deadline recently reported that Alec Baldwin could soon face criminal charges for last year’s fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico film set of Rust. The tragic incident took place on October 2021 while the actor was rehearsing a scene for the film. Baldwin previously believed authorities would determine Hutchins’ death was an accident, and he wouldn’t be charged.
Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had initially filed an emergency request for $635,500 from New Mexico’s Board of Finance in an attempt to prosecute up to four people in connection with the incident. The Attorney’s office was granted $317,750 for the potential prosecution, where Alec Baldwin was named as one of the possible defendants in an August 30th letter. The identities of the other three people that could face charges weren’t disclosed.
Since Deadline’s report indicating Alec Baldwin may face criminal charges, the Oscar-nominated actor’s attorney, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emmanuel, has responded to the recent news. “The DA has made clear that she has not received the sheriff’s report or made any decisions about who, if anyone, might be charged in the case,” said Nikas. “During my communications with the DA’s office just a few weeks ago, after the August 30 funding request was submitted, I was told that it would be premature to discuss the case because they had not yet reviewed the file or deliverated about their charging decision,” added the attorney.
The investigation into the shooting of Halyna Hutchins has been ongoing for nearly a year. Since the incident took place, Alec Baldwin has made several statements via his social media pages and in interviews, repeatedly denying that he fired the prop gun that led to the cinematographer’s death. During an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC, the actor claimed the trigger wasn’t pulled, but the FBI says differently.
According to the forensic report released by the FBI, the agency conducted accidental discharge testing, determining the gun could not be made to fire without pulling the trigger. The report completely contradicts claims by Alec Baldwin that he never pulled the trigger. Bodycam footage released by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office back in April shows the actor holding the gun before the incident, and Hutchins and director Joel Souza on the ground surrounded by first responders.
The shooting on the set of Rust occurred while Alec Baldwin was practicing a technique that had him pointing a Colt .45 revolver at a camera. A bullet from the gun hit Hutchins, mortally wounding her. Souza was also injured after being struck by the stray bullet. Baldwin has stated that he was unaware there was a live round in the gun, and he didn’t realize it had killed Hutchins and injured Souza until several hours after the shooting.
Production on Rust has been suspended indefinitely following the shooting incident. The film was set to star Jensen Ackles, Travis Fimmel, Alec Baldwin, Frances Fisher, Travis Hammer, and Todd Bryant. Joel Souza was directing the picture from a script her wrote.
In addition to starring, Alec Baldwin was also a producer on the suspended feature. The story was to center on a young boy who is forced to fend for himself and his younger brother after the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas. The boy would end up going on the run with his long-estranged grandfather after being sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.
Whether Alec Baldwin faces charges for the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins is yet to be determined, but the actor has plenty of other problems on his plate. He’s currently being sued by Hutchins’ family for the cinematographer’s wrongful death. Additionally, Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun, are being sued by dozens of crew members for alleged negligence.
