Alec Baldwin has been charged with manslaughter over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of Rust | Ents & Arts News

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Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin has been formally charged in New Mexico with manslaughter for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the western movie “Rust.”

Baldwin has vowed to fight both charges against him, with his attorney calling the case a “terrible miscarriage of justice.”

Live tourer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed after firing a prop gun carried by the 64-year-old star during rehearsals for the movie in October 2021.

The charge — which carries a penalty of five years in prison — would require prosecutors to convince a jury that Baldwin was not only negligent, but reckless in his use of a firearm.

Photo: Hannah Gutierrez Reid was the armorer on the Rust set. Pic file: Shutterstock

Hannah Gutierrez Reid, who was in charge of the guns on the Rust group, has also been charged with two counts of manslaughter.

Legal experts said prosecutors would struggle to win convictions without proving that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reid knew live ammunition was present but took no precautions.

Hutchins’ family welcomed the accusations when they were made public earlier in January, saying Baldwin had shown a “conscious disregard for human life.”

Rust assistant director Dave Halls faces negligent use of a deadly weapon. He did not plead any dispute and entered into a plea agreement pending approval.

Photo: Pic: Dave Halls/Twitter

Industry-wide firearm safety guidelines direct operators to assume that a firearm is chambered and to rely on professional gun handlers to ensure gun safety.

Representatives are required to point the weapon only at someone with the guidance of firearms professionals. Live ammunition is strictly prohibited in groups.

Gutierrez-Reed said she verified that the bullets she loaded in the revolver were dummies before handing them over to Halls.

Photo: Baldwin pictured in New York where charges were to be formally filed

Halls handed it to Baldwin, telling him it was a “cold gun” or discharged, according to police.

“Hannah pleaded for more firearms training. It was denied and ignored,” said Jason Bowles, Gutierrez Reed’s attorney. He added, “We will fight these charges and expect a jury to find Hannah not guilty.”

Read more: Alec Baldwin remains defiant and even optimistic

The decision on the charges was made about three months after prosecutors received the final report on the shooting from the Santa Fe sheriff’s office, after a lengthy investigation that also included the FBI.

The sheriff’s office investigation has not yet revealed how the live ammunition got into the group.

Special Prosecutor Andrea Repp said at the time: “If any of those three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez Reed or David Holes — had done their job, Helena Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple.”

Photo: Cinematographer Helena Hutchins was killed in a shooting on the set of the western movie Rust. Pic: Swain Studios/Reuters

“The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the set of Rust. In New Mexico, there is no place for movie sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”

“No one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice,” said Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack Altoys.

A spokeswoman for her office added: “The evidence and the facts speak for themselves.”

READ MORE: Alec Baldwin vows to fight Rust shooting charge, says FBIT Key points from Baldwin’s post-shooting interview

Gutierrez-Reed testified to the New Mexico Worker Safety Agency on December 7 that the shooting could have been prevented had she had more time to train Baldwin. She said he was “poor in shape” when using the gun.

But Gabrielle Bickle, the producer of the film’s line, told the agency that Gutierrez Reed got all the days she asked to do her duties.

Baldwin and the Rust Productions reached a civil settlement for an undisclosed amount with the Hutchins family in October and announced that production on the film would resume this year. After the criminal charges were announced, the film’s attorney confirmed that Baldwin would remain in the film’s starring role.

Hutchins’ husband Matt will also remain an executive producer — and Joel Sousa, who was injured in the shooting, will return as director.

Several other lawsuits have also been filed in connection with the shooting.

Hutchins died on the set outside of Sante Fe, New Mexico, when Baldwin was rehearsing shooting a gunshot.

Baldwin has denied responsibility for the shooting – saying that live ammunition should never have been allowed on set and that gun handlers are responsible for the safety of firearms.

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