Los Angeles, Feb 1 (IANS) Hollywood star Alec Baldwin and armourer Hanna Gutierrez-Reed have officially been charged in the ‘Rust’ fatal shooting case.
The ’30 Rock’ alum and Hanna have been hit with one count of involuntary manslaughter following the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, reports aceshowbiz.com.
New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed charges against the actor and the film’s armourer on Tuesday, January 31.
This arrived after 15 months of speculation about whether she would find evidence to take the case to trial.
“On the day of the shooting alone, evidence shows that no less than a dozen acts, or omissions of recklessness, occurred in the short time prior to lunch and the time of the shooting, and this does not include the reckless handling of the firearm by Baldwin,” so read a probable cause statement accompanying the charges.
If convicted, Alec and Hanna could each face a five-year prison sentence.
Alec previously insisted that he did not pull the trigger when Halyna was shot back in 2021, but the FBI tested the weapon and later issued a report that concluded that it would not have fired if someone had not pulled the trigger. Halyna’s death was initially ruled an accident but her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec and others involved in the production of ‘Rust’.
The lawsuit was settled last October, and it was agreed filming would resume, with the cinematographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, on board as an executive producer.
Matthew has said that he has “no interest” in apportioning blame for his wife’s death and wants to pay tribute to her “final work”.
–IANS
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