In 2021 when Alec Baldwin fatally shot a crew member on a movie set, he claimed the gun just went off. The Santa Fe County district attorney however didn’t charge the gun for the death, instead opting to slap Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter.
On the set of a western called Rust, Alec Baldwin shot and killed director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, while rehearsing a scene. The bullet also struck the film’s director, Joel Souza, but he survived. The gun he had for the scene was loaded, but Baldwin never checked it before pointing it at people and pulling the trigger.
Baldwin however has maintained that the gun acted on its own and fired the fatal shot. In a crocodile teary interview with ABC, Baldwin claimed, “Well the trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger,”
“I would never point a gun at anybody and pull the trigger. Never,” Baldwin added.
To recap, a gun in Baldwin’s hand fired a shot that killed a woman, but he says that he would never aim a gun at someone and pull the trigger.
Fox News reports that New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies found Baldwin’s excuse as ridiculous as it sounds and charged the actor with 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, Baldwin could spend up to 18 months in jail, which would seem like a life sentence to the vain and insufferable douchebag.
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Halyna Hutchins’ family issued a statement following the announced charges:
We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges for involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life.
Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law. We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law.
Alec Baldwin also issued a statement through his attorney, Luke Nikas.
“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win,” said Nikas.
Nothing distorts justice like charging the guy who fired the fatal round, does it? While attorneys are supposed to support their clients, this guy needs to be a little more realistic about Baldwin’s prospects.
Ale Baldwin was the producer of the film, so whatever happened is ultimately his responsibility. Also, he’s the one who killed Halyna Hutchins, so there’s that. He never checked the gun to see if it was loaded, pointed that unchecked gun at a woman, and pulled the trigger. That’s involuntary manslaughter no matter how his lawyer tries to spin it.
