'Rust' Shooting: Alec Baldwin Formally Charged with Manslaughter

JAN 19 2023·Updated FEB 1 2023

Story

Image credit: Reuters [via The Guardian]

The Facts

New Mexico prosecutors have formally charged actor Alec Baldwin and movie set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed with involuntary manslaughter for their involvement in the fatal 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust."
ABC News
In documents released Tuesday, prosecutors allege that "Baldwin's deviation from known standards, practice and protocol directly caused the fatal death," adding that "Baldwin was provided only minimal training on firearms, even after Reed requested more."
FOX News
They add that "According to Reed, Baldwin was distracted and talking on his cell phone...during the training." This comes after Baldwin, in 2021, claimed that he "spent an hour and a half shooting the pistol" and that Gutierrez-Reed gave him "all her safety instructions."
New York Post
Special investigator Robert Shilling alleged evidence also shows "Baldwin was not present" for other "required firearms training," with prosecutors saying the one he was present for only lasted 30 minutes.
NBC
The indictments claim Gutierrez-Reed also failed to correct safety violations, "directly resulting in Hutchins' death." Video and photo evidence from on set show Baldwin with his finger on the trigger, with the FBI concluding that the trigger had to have been pulled.
ABC News
Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys say prosecutors have "completely misunderstood" the facts of the case and that she "was told by production to focus on props" despite having "pleaded to provide more firearms training." Baldwin's attorneys previously called the charges a "miscarriage of justice." If convicted, they both face up to five years in prison.
FOX News

Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
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CENTER

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ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

As more information comes out, the evidence seems to show that carelessness was the rule rather than the exception on the set of "Rust." Live rounds were found in multiple locations on set, and guns had reportedly gone off by accident before. The prosecution's case against both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed is apparently only growing stronger.

Cambridge

Narrative B

First of all, both Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin were told by weapons professionals that the gun was not loaded. Secondly, it was Hutchins herself who told Baldwin to point the gun toward her as she was setting the camera up for a scene. This was an incredibly rare tragedy unforeseen by anyone on the film crew, but wrongfully indicting people won't bring Hutchins back and won't provide justice for anyone.