CNN —
[Breaking news update, published at 11:10 a.m. ET]
Alec Baldwin, the actor who shot and killed cameraman Halina Hutchins during a rehearsal for the 2021 western film “Rust,” will be charged with first degree manslaughter, prosecutors said Thursday.
Baldwin claims he did not know the gun he fired on set contained a live ammunition.
Baldwin and the gunman, Hannah Gutierrez-Reid, will be charged with two counts of manslaughter, prosecutors said.
[Previous story, published at 9:37 a.m. ET]
Prosecutors say they are ready to announce whether criminal charges will be filed in the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of a cameraman that involved actor Alec Baldwin and other members of the film’s production.
Mary Carmack-Althuis, district attorney for the First Judicial District of New Mexico, and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb will reveal their decision in a written statement Thursday morning, according to Carmack-Althuis’ office.
“Regardless of the district attorney’s decision, the announcement will be a solemn event done in a manner consistent with the office’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the judicial process and respecting the victim’s family,” said Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the office.
Baldwin’s shooting of two film crew members while rehearsing the Western film Rust in New Mexico in October 2021 led to a flurry of finger-pointing and accusations of negligence from those involved.
Cinematographer Halina Hutchins was struck and killed by live rounds fired from a prop gun held by Baldwin, who claimed he did not pull the gun’s trigger. Director Joel Souza was also injured.
The postmortem summary of Hutchins’ death — which was officially signed off by New Mexico’s chief medical examiner — listed the cause of death as a “gunshot wound to the chest” and the manner of death as an “accident.” ”
“A review of available law enforcement reports did not provide a conclusive demonstration that the firearm was intentionally loaded with live ammunition on set. Based on all available information, including the lack of apparent intent to cause harm or death, the manner of death is best classified as an accident,” the report concluded.
An FBI forensics report said the weapon could not be fired during FBI tests of its normal function without pulling the trigger while the gun was cocked. The report also notes that the gun eventually failed during testing after internal parts fractured, causing the gun to go off in the cocked position without pulling the trigger.
In an interview with CNN in August, Baldwin placed the blame for the tragedy on Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who served as the film’s gunsmith and props assistant, and assistant director Dave Halls, who gave him the gun. In November, Baldwin filed a lawsuit against the two and others associated with the film, according to a counter-complaint obtained by CNN.
Through their respective attorneys, both Gutierrez Reed and Halls have pleaded not guilty and accused Baldwin of shifting the blame. Gutierrez-Reid is also suing the film’s gun and ammunition supplier and its founder — who deny wrongdoing — and alleging he was sold a cache of dummy ammunition laced with live rounds.
In October, Hutchins’ family reached an undisclosed settlement in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against Baldwin and others involved in the film’s production.
Matthew Hutchins, Halina Hutchins’ widower, described her death as a “horrific accident” in a statement during the settlement. Production on “Rust” was set to resume this month, with Matthew Hutchins joining as an executive producer on the film as part of the deal.
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