American actor Alec Baldwin, author of a fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust in 2021, will be charged with manslaughter, announced Thursday a prosecutor. The gunsmith of the film, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who had handled the weapon, is targeted by the same charge, said Santa Fe County Prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies in a press release. Mr. Baldwin had activated a weapon supposed to contain only blank bullets but whose very real projectile had killed the director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured the director Joel Souza. This rare news item had shocked Hollywood and had had a strong impact, triggering calls to ban firearms on the sets. Mary Carmack-Altwies said: “Also see on Konbini” After careful review of the evidence and the laws of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to bring a criminal charge against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew […]. Under my supervision, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.” The charges will be formally filed “by the end of the month”, affirmed the prosecutor. If convicted, Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed risk up to eighteen months in prison. A charge that is “a terrible miscarriage of justice”, according to Alec Baldwin’s lawyer. He adds: “This decision distorts the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins [victime du tir, ndlr] and represents 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.” said that he had been assured that his weapon was harmless. Executive assistant David Halls, who gave her the gun and told her it was not dangerous, pleads guilty to negligence while using a deadly weapon. not having pulled the trigger, an assertion questioned by experts. 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’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, put the ammunition in the gun used by Alec Baldwin instead of a dummy bullet. In August, the actor said he expected no one is charged, indicating to the chain CNN to have hired a private detective to establish the responsibilities in this affair. The drama gave rise to a flurry of civil lawsuits, emanating from several members of the team. Fatal shooting on a set: the victim’s family files a complaint against Alec Baldwin In October, Alec Baldwin announced that he had reached an agreement ending civil lawsuits brought by Ms. Hutchins’ family. Its amount was not disclosed. At the time, the resumption of filming of Rust was also announced for 2023.
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