Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter for his ‘reckless acts’ in the Rust shooting case MGG

Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Rust shooting case that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021.

As per BBC, Santa Fe’s District Attorney has accused the comedian-actor-producer of ‘many instances of extremely reckless acts’. Apart from him, the film’s weapons handler will be facing similar criminal charges too.

The verdict was first announced on January 19, and on Tuesday, the documents containing the charges were released. Robert Shilling, who is a special investigator at the district attorney’s office wrote in a statement, given as probable cause, along with the charges that Alec Baldwin was distracted as he was talking to family members on the phone during the training on how to use a prop gun. Shilling further argued that had Baldwin performed the mandatory safety protocol with armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed and not pointed the gun at Hutchins, the fatal tragedy might not have happened. “This reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol directly caused the fatal shooting,” he said.

What are the charges of ‘omissions of recklessness’ against Alec Baldwin?

The charging document has listed several “acts or omissions of recklessness” that led to the fatal shooting, including:

• Not using a replica firearm for an unscheduled rehearsal
• Letting the armourer leave the set against protocol
• Deviating from the practice of only receiving the gun from the armourer
• Not dealing with safety complaints on set
• Not performing required safety checks with the armourer, who was hired without adequate certification

Both Baldwin and Ms Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers have said they intend to fight the charges in court.

If they are found guilty, Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed could face up to 18 months in prison. In addition to that, they will also have to pay $5,000 (£4,050) fine. They will be tried by a jury, according to prosecutors.

What did Alec Baldwin do on the Rust set?

For those unaware, actor, producer, and comedian Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with an old-fashioned rifle for a scene in the low-budget western film Rust, which he was shooting on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Halls handed the revolver to Baldwin who was told that it did not contain any live ammunition. However, amid the rehearsal, the rifle went off proving to be fatal for the 42-year-old cinematographer, who was shot in the chest. It also injured director Joel Souza. After the shooting, five live rounds mixed in with dummy rounds were found on set.