On Thursday, Oscar-nominated actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist were charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his movie “Rust”. The Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office announced that Baldwin was rehearsing a scene when a gun he was using went off, killing Hutchins. The armorer responsible for weapons on set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, will also be charged.
The incident occurred in 2021 while filming “Rust” in New Mexico. According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, an assistant director has agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of deadly weapon. The New York Times reported that Baldwin had been rehearsing with a gun when it went off and killed Hutchins.
To those of us who understand how firearms like the one Baldwin had operate, we know exactly what happened. He didn’t know how it worked and was holding it by the trigger. He was trying to release the hammer but did so quickly which fired the shot. It’s unfortunate, but it is his fault.
This is not the first time Baldwin has been involved in controversy. In 2019 he was arrested for disorderly conduct after getting into an altercation with another man over a parking spot. He was also accused of punching someone during an argument about a different parking spot in 2014.
Baldwin is no stranger to Hollywood success either; he has been nominated for several Academy Awards and Golden Globes throughout his career. He is best known for his roles in films such as “Beetlejuice”, “The Departed”, and “It’s Complicated”.
The charges against Baldwin are serious and could have major implications for his career if found guilty. It remains to be seen what will happen next but one thing is certain, this case will be closely watched by fans around the world as it progresses through the legal system.
