The city of Santa Fe, New Mexico — Thursday, a district attorney in Santa Fe will announce whether charges will be filed in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a “Rust.” rehearsal in 2021.
District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies of Santa Fe stated that a decision will be announced Thursday morning via social media and a statement, with no public appearances by prosecutors.
Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office, stated, “The announcement will be a solemn occasion, made in a manner keeping with the office’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the judicial process and respecting the victim’s family,”
Halyna Hutchins her away on October 21, 2021, shortly after being shot during the setting of a scene at the property on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Baldwin had a pistol pointed at Hutchins when it discharged, killing her and wounded the director, Joel Souza.
Alec Baldwin on the New Mexico Set of “Rust” Instagram post by Alec Baldwin
The initial inquiry into Hutchins’ death was led by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who described “a degree of neglect” on the film set. In October, however, after delivering the results of a yearlong inquiry, he deferred to prosecutors for potential criminal charges. This article did not describe how live ammo ended up on the set of a film.
Carmack-Altwies was granted an emergency $300,000 request to pay for a special prosecutor, special investigator, and other specialists and professionals when she assumed responsibility of the probe.
Baldwin, well-known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” as well as his imitation of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live” has referred to Hutchins’ death as a “tragic accident.”
He has attempted to clear his name by suing those who handled and supplied the loaded rifle he was given on set. Baldwin, who was also a co-producer on “Rust,” stated that he was informed the firearm was safe.
Baldwin alleged in his claim that while working on camera angles with Hutchins during a scene rehearsal, he pointed the gun in her direction, pulled back, and released the gun’s hammer, causing it to fire.
The Office of the Medical Investigator of New Mexico ruled that the shooting was accidental after completing an autopsy and reviewing law enforcement reports.
Rust Movie Productions has been fined the maximum amount by New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau based on a scathing narrative of safety failures, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires of blank ammunition on set prior to the fatal shooting.
Rust Movie Productions continues to contest the grounds for a $137,000 punishment imposed by regulators who allege that production managers on set failed to adhere to standard industry norms on guns safety.
The armorer who monitored firearms on the set, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and an independent ammunition supplier have been the focus of most of the investigation. A lawyer representing Gutierrez Reed stated that the armorer did not load a live cartridge into the rifle that killed Hutchins, and that she was the victim of sabotage. According to authorities, there is no evidence of this.
On the film set on the outskirts of Santa Fe, investigators discovered 500 rounds of ammunition, including blanks, dummy shots, and what seemed to be live rounds. According to industry experts, live rounds should never be performed on set.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department disclosed a plethora of papers in April 2022, which included lapel camera footage of the mortally wounded Hutchins drifting in and out of consciousness as an evacuation helicopter approached. Interrogations of witnesses, email threads, text messages, ammunition inventory, and countless images filled out this collection of evidence.
State workplace safety authorities stated that urgent issues over gun safety were addressed when “Rust” production paused, and that a return to filming in Additional Mexico will be accompanied by new safety inspections.
The Hutchins family, comprised of widower Matthew Hutchins and son Andros, reached a settlement with the producers that seeks to begin filming with Matthew’s involvement as executive producer.
Beginning in early October of 2021, “Rust” was plagued by disagreements. Just hours before the tragic shooting, seven crew members left the set in protest over working conditions.
The murder of Hutchins has influenced negotiations over safety requirements in film crew union contracts with Hollywood producers and prompted other filmmakers to use computer-generated pictures of gunshot instead of real firearms with blank ammunition to reduce hazards.
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