7 New Facts About Alec Baldwin's "Rust" Shooting Released by Prosecutors
A new probable cause affidavit details exactly why prosecutors believe the actor is responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins.
On Tuesday, Alec Baldwin was formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, facing up to 18 months in prison if convicted, plus a potential five-year enhancement for the use of a firearm.
In probable cause statements filed by the prosecution, details about the case against the award-winning actor were revealed. Here are seven new facts about the shooting and why prosecutors believe Alec Baldwin is partially to blame for the mother-of-one's death.
The gun that killed Hutchins should have only been loaded with dummy rounds. However, there was a live round in the gun, allegedly loaded by Hannah Reed Gutierrez, the film's armorer, who is facing identical charges. According to the prosecution, this is one of the many missteps responsible for Hutchins' death.
Baldwin should have never been using a real gun, the .45 long Colt caliber revolver, during rehearsals. "It was also determined by consultation with expert armourers that in a rehearsal, a plastic gun or replica gun should be used as no firing of blanks is required," the document of probably cause states.
According to Gutierrez-Reed, Baldwin was scheduled to take a training session on weapon handling for at least an hour. However, after 30 minutes it ended because Baldwin "was distracted and talking on his cell phone to his family during the training."
Prosecutors also maintain that Baldwin was irresponsible in terms of gun safety. He should have assumed the weapon was loaded with live rounds. They write, "the first rule of gun safety is never to point a gun at someone you don't intend on shooting."
"This reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol directly caused the fatal shooting," the document says. "Baldwin acted with wilful disregard of the safety of others and in a manner which endangered other people."
Ever since the shooting, Baldwin has insisted that he did not pull the trigger. However, an FBI analysis found that the gun was working normally. "Baldwin drew the revolver from the holster, pointed it at Halyna Hutchins, and fired the weapon," writes Robert Shilling, an investigator with the First Judicial District Attorney's office, in the affidavit.
The affidavit maintains that Baldwin failed to live up to his job as a producer on the western movie, including allowing the hiring of Gutierrez-Reed, even though she was "inexperienced and unqualified." Shilling writes: "The evidence and statements documented in this affidavit confirm many instances of extremely reckless acts or reckless failures to act by Baldwin in a 10-day period. Baldwin's deviation from known standards, practice and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins."
