The family of Halyna Hutchines, killed by an accidental shooting of the actor on a set, welcomed the announcement of his indictment with relief.
The announcement Thursday that Alec Baldwin will be charged with manslaughter was greeted with relief by Halyna Hutchins’ family. According to sky newsrelatives of the deceased denounced “a conscious disregard for human life”.
On October 21, 2021, during the filming of the film Rust on a ranch in New Mexico, Alec Baldwin fired a weapon that was supposed to contain only blank bullets, but a very real projectile killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza.
A long investigation ensued, culminating Thursday in the announcement of the indictment of Alec Baldwin and the shooting armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who had handled the weapon. Executive assistant David Halls, who had given him the weapon informing him that it was not dangerous, pleaded guilty to negligence while using a deadly weapon.
“We support these accusations”
“We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and District Attorney for concluding a thorough investigation and determining that manslaughter charges are warranted in the Halyna Hutchins murder case, with a conscious disregard for human life.”
They add that they hope the justice system “holds accountable those who break the law”: “Our independent investigation has also determined that the charges are justified. The fact that in New Mexico no one is above the laws comforts the family.” They conclude: “We support these charges and we will cooperate with the prosecutor.”
Lawyers step up
The charges will be formally filed “by the end of the month”, said the prosecutor. If convicted, Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed risk up to 18 months in prison. The actor’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, immediately reacted to the prosecutor’s announcement to denounce a “terrible miscarriage of justice”:
“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe that a live ammunition was in the gun, or anywhere else at the shooting location,” he said. “He was relying on the professionals he was working with, who had assured him there were no live ammunition in the gun. We will fight those charges, and we will win.”
Same will on the side of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers, still according to sky news: “These charges are the result of a very incomplete investigation and a misunderstanding of the facts. We intend to bring to light the whole truth and believe that Hannah will be exonerated from any wrongdoing by a jury.”
Alec Baldwin always said he was assured his gun was harmless. The 64-year-old actor, notably known for the series 30Rockalso maintained that he had not pulled the trigger, a claim doubted by experts.
Last August, he said he expected no one to be charged, telling CNN that he had hired a private detective to establish responsibilities in the case.
The police investigation focused in particular on determining how live ammunition could have been found on the set, which is in theory strictly prohibited, precisely to avoid accidents. Officers concluded that the shooting gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, put the ammunition in the gun used by Alec Baldwin, instead of a dummy bullet.
Moreover, sky news reported in November that a civil lawsuit brought by Mamie Mitchell, responsible for the smooth running of the shooting, targeted Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez Reed and David Halls, the assistant director who gave the gun to the actor.
Alec Baldwin was also the subject of civil lawsuits filed by the family of Halyna Hutchins. A deal, the amount of which was not disclosed, was announced in October. Shooting must resume this year.
