District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis is moving forward with plans for actor-producer Alec Baldwin and film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to face criminal charges in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.
Carmack-Altweis announced that the two will each face two counts of involuntary manslaughter, a recent KRQE report said. Hutchins was shot on Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Baldwin was rehearsing for a scene for the movie “Rust” when he allegedly fired a prop gun loaded with a real bullet that struck Hutchins. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also injured in the shooting.
The district attorney also announced that the film’s assistant director, David Halls, has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. The terms of the plea deal include a suspended sentence and six months of probation.
Carmack-Altweis appointed a special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, to prosecute Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed.
“If any one of these three people—Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, or David Halls—had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple,” Reeb in a news release, quoted by KRQE. “The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the ‘Rust’ film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”
If Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are convicted, the fourth-degree felony charges are punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5000 fine. The DA’s Office said the charge includes a firearm enhancement penalty because a firearm was involved. The firearm enhancement makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.
“There is a very clear process for pursuing justice in this case,” Carmack-Altweis said in a statement, quoted by KRQE. “We are committed to upholding the integrity of that process to ensure equal justice under the law.”
The attorney for Alec Baldwin said they will fight the charges.
“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice,” Quinn Emanuel’s Luke Nikas said in a statement, quoted by KRQE. “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.”
Jason Bowles, a lawyer for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, said his client is not guilty.
“Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter,” he said in a statement, quoted by KRQE. “These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts. We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”
