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Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter over fatal Rust shooting

<p>Charges are to be made over an on-set tragedy that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. </p> <p>Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the tragic incident. </p> <p>In New Mexico, involuntary manslaughter carries a penalty of up to 18 months in prison, as well as a fine. The case requires prosecutors prove that Hutchins died as a result of underlying negligence, and “includes the misdemeanour charge of negligent use of a firearm.” </p> <p>Confirmation came from Mary Carmack-Altwies, Sante Fe’s district attorney, who said that the charges against Baldwin and Reed would be filed by the end of January. </p> <p>“After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico,” said Carmack-Altqies, “I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the <em>Rust</em> film crew. On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.” </p> <p>Baldwin’s attorney, however, believes the decision to be “a terrible miscarriage of justice.”</p> <p>The news comes after a year of investigation into the incident, in which a revolver Alec was using during a rehearsal for the film <em>Rust </em>fired a live round and caused a fatal wound to Hutchins. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also hit but survived his injuries. </p> <p>The investigation into Halyna’s death sought to learn how live rounds made it onto the set at all, and from there into a functioning firearm. </p> <p>In 2022, New Mexico's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau found that the film production company behind <em>Rust</em> was aware that firearm safety procedures were not being followed, and the hazards on set were being met with indifference. </p> <p>While Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed are to each face the charges of involuntary manslaughter, the film’s assistant director, David Halls, has signed a plea agreement for the negligent use of a deadly weapon. </p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F1stJDA%2Fposts%2Fpfbid026SV45YMwTanEhpdL3BpczGn4PiRbKirEyokhGSph8j6PrnS8XRhViE4EPWmKsiYzl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="199" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>As special prosecutor Andrea Weeb stated, “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.”</p> <p>Baldwin has maintained that he was unaware of the live rounds, and that he was informed the weapon was ‘cold’ - a term used in the industry to mean the gun is ‘safe’. In 2021, the actor said in an interview that he did not pull the trigger, and that the gun fired when cocked.  </p> <p>Luke Nikas, Baldwin’s attorney, supported these claims, stating that “Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun … He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.</p> <p>“We will fight these charges, and we will win.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

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New footage of Rust shooting released

<p dir="ltr">Police have released new bodycam footage of Alec Baldwin's questioning on the Rust set after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">Halyna was killed, and director Joel Souza injured, when the gun went off during rehearsals for the upcoming film <em>Rust</em> on a ranch outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police asked Baldwin whether someone had any ill intention to swap out the "flash rounds" with live ones to which he said he didn’t believe so.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new video shows Baldwin asking officers to help him identify the object being removed from Souza’s shoulder.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The thing that… is going to answer all of your questions is: what's in Joel's shoulder. Is it a rock or is it a bullet?" Baldwin asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">Officers said they could show him an image of what was removed from Souza’s shoulder.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That's a bullet," Baldwin replied.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If that's a bullet that was pulled out his shoulder, then someone loaded a live round into the gun I was holding."</p> <p dir="ltr">Baldwin, who is also a producer on the film, has repeatedly denied responsibility for Halyna’s death, insisting that no live rounds should have been on set.</p> <p dir="ltr">In other videos, police and medics were seen racing to the scene, and bodycam footage shows first responders battling to save Halyna.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another video shows Baldwin dressed as a cowboy and practising with what appears to be the gun that killed the cinematographer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the investigation into the shooting "remains open and ongoing".</p> <p dir="ltr">There are currently several lawsuits filed against Baldwin following Halyna’s death, including one from her husband Matthew.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the footage <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61226637" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Santa Fe Police</em></p>

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Alec Baldwin denies pulling trigger

<p>Alec Baldwin has said he did not pull the trigger on the gun that accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October. </p> <p>In a preview for his first tell-all interview since the incident, Alec Baldwin sits down with ABC's George Stephanopoulos as the journalist asks the actor if the shooting was part of the script. </p> <p><span>“Well, the trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin says. </span></p> <p><span>Stephanopoulos confirms, “So you never pulled the trigger?” to which Baldwin answers, “No, no, no, no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never.”</span></p> <p><span>During an appearance on Good Morning America, George Stephanopoulos described his 80-minute interview with Alec as "very candid", as the actor seemed "devastated" yet "forthcoming".</span></p> <p><span>“I’ve done thousands of interviews in the last 20 years at ABC,” he said. “This was the most intense I’ve ever experienced.”</span></p> <p><span>During the preview for the interview, Alec Baldwin said that the incident was the worst thing that has ever happened to him. </span></p> <p><span>“Yep … yeah, because I think back and I think of ‘what could I have done?’”</span></p> <p><span>Halyna Hutchins was killed, and director Joel Souza injured, when the gun went off during rehearsals for the upcoming film <em>Rust</em> on a ranch outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. </span></p> <p><span>The Santa Fe county sheriff's office is still investigating the shooting, in particular how live </span>ammunition rounds ended up on the set and into Baldwin's hands. </p> <p>Check out the preview to the tell-all interview below.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Eu8jODyHmlk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credits: Youtube - ABC News</em></p>

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Lawyers for Rust armourer claim ‘sabotage’

<p dir="ltr">Lawyers for Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/she-s-a-rookie-rust-s-armourer-comes-under-fire" target="_blank">24-year-old armourer</a><span> </span>at the centre of the investigation into the tragedy on the set of Alec Baldwin’s film<span> </span><em>Rust,<span> </span></em>are now<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-11-03/rust-shooting-armorer-hannah-gutierrez-reed-lawyers" target="_blank">claiming</a><span> </span>their client was the victim of sabotage, and that the accident was ultimately the fault of someone else.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her lawyers have suggested that someone intentionally smuggled live rounds of ammunition into a box of dummy rounds before the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/alec-baldwin-allegedly-shot-and-killed-cinematographer" target="_blank">fatal on-set shooting</a><span> </span>that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Lawyer Jason Bowles made the suggestion while appearing on numerous morning news programs on Wednesday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">On<span> </span><em>Good Morning America</em>, he asked, “Why do you place that in the box labeled ‘dummies’ that the armorer is going to be pulling from? Why would you do that other than to try to cause some incident on the set?</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now, we’re not saying anybody had any intent there was going to be a tragedy — a homicide — but they wanted to do something to cause a safety incident on set. That’s what we believe happened.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When GMA anchor Michael Strahan pressed him for evidence to support this serious allegation, Bowles simply asserted that his client did not place the live round that was ultimately responsible for Hutchins’ death in the ammunition box.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We know the live rounds shouldn’t have been in that box, but they were,” he said. “So there can be very, very few explanations for why live rounds end up in a box of dummy prop ammunition on a movie set. And one of them is that somebody wants that to go into a firearm and then wants there to be an incident on the set. There’s no other reason to mix a live round with the dummies. There’s just none.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After presenting the same argument on<span> </span><em>Today<span> </span></em>and being asked by host Savannah Guthrie why anyone would “have the motive and opportunity” to sabotage the ammunition in this way, Bowles said, “I believe that somebody who would do that would want to ... prove a point, want to say that they’re disgruntled.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And we know that people had already walked off the set the day before. ... And the reason they were unhappy is they’re working 12- to 14-hour days. They were not given hotel rooms in and around the area. So they had to drive back and forth an hour to Albuquerque, and they’re unhappy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This is a reference to the fact that the camera crew had staged a walkout before the incident, fed up with unreasonable working conditions and amidst a push within Hollywood to improve working conditions for film and television crews.</p> <p dir="ltr">Guthrie then asked Bowles if he was accusing the crew members who had walked out of planting the live ammunition, to which he said, “You can’t rule anybody out at this point. We know there was a live round in a box of dummy rounds that shouldn’t have been there… there was opportunity to tamper with the scene. And yes, we’re looking at that possibility.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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“You should know her name”: Alec Baldwin’s wife blasts paparazzi

<p>Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria have spoken out about the shooting of Halyna Hutchins in a fiery exchange with paparazzi.</p> <p>The 63-year-old actor spoke to a group of local media on Saturday while staying in Vermont, which quickly turned into a very tense conversation. </p> <p>Alec said he was unable to give any details on the ongoing investigation into Halyna's death, citing instructions from the Santa Fe Country Sheriff’s Office, but he did speak about his relationship with the cinematographer.</p> <p>“It’s an active investigation in terms of a woman dying,” he said.</p> <p>“She was my friend. The day I arrived on set and started shooting I took her to dinner with Joel, the director."</p> <p>“We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened.”</p> <p>One of the paparazzi began to ask Alec about the meeting he had with Halyna's husband and son, but forgot her name while phrasing the question. </p> <p>This action sparked a furious response from Baldwin's wife Hilaria. </p> <p>“Halyna, her name is Halyna,” she said.</p> <p>“If you are spending this much time waiting for us you should know her name.”</p> <p>“You don’t know her name?” said Baldwin, before confirming he had met with Ms Hutchins’ husband Matthew and her nine-year-old son.</p> <p>“I wouldn’t know how to characterise it. They’re mortified,” he said.</p> <p>Hilaria interrupted again, saying, “You guys, you guys. You know what, no details.”</p> <p>Alec then turned to her and said, “Do me a favour, I am going to answer the questions.”</p> <p>After a few more questions, Baldwin asks the paparazzi to leave him alone, saying "my kids are in the car crying".</p> <p>“As a courtesy I came to talk to you. I am not allowed to comment on the investigation, I talk to the cops every day,” he said.</p> <p>“We sat down as a courtesy to talk to you, now please, would you just stop following us. Just leave us alone. We gave you everything.”</p> <p>The accidental shooting took place on the film set of <em>Rust </em>in New Mexico on October 21st, as Alec fired a gun that killed Halyna Hutchins and injured the film's director Joel Souza. </p> <p><span>Both assistant director David Halls and armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been questioned as part of the investigation into how Baldwin ended up handling a gun loaded with live ammunition.</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: @therecount / Twitter</em></p>

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New details emerge in Baldwin shooting tragedy

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New details surrounding the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/alec-baldwin-allegedly-shot-and-killed-cinematographer" target="_blank">fatal accident</a> on the set of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rust</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have been released by officials, including the fact that star actor Alec Baldwin fired a live lead bullet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The incident on-set claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and resulted in the injury of filmmaker Joel Souza.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new information was revealed during a news conference held by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, and via an affidavit filed by the sheriff’s department.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sheriff Mendoza said the lead projectile they believe killed Hutchins was recovered from Mr Souza’s shoulder, and belonged to a .45 calibre Pietta Long Colt revolver.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We believe that we have, in our possession, the firearm that was fired by Mr Baldwin. This is the firearm we believe discharged the bullet,” Sheriff Mendoza </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-28/police-speak-alec-baldwin-shooting-rust-halyna-hutchins/100574838" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We would consider it a live round - a bullet, live - because it did fire from the weapon and obviously caused the death of Ms Hutchins and injured Mr Souza.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845151/baldwin1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e08e22c668b34ee581024e93bffdb641" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Flowers placed at the entrance of the “Rust” film set. Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sheriff Mendoza also said that about 600 items of evidence had been recovered from the set, including three firearms and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition that included blanks and dummy rounds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two of the guns were non-functional, while the third was the Colt revolver used by Mr Baldwin.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was also revealed that the gun used on set was not thoroughly checked before being given to Mr Baldwin.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The actor was told the gun was “cold”, meaning it was safe to use and contained no ammunition, and was pointing the gun at the camera when it discharged, hitting Ms Hutchins in the torso.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the affidavit, the film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez, told investigators she had checked guns before the incident but found no “hot rounds” - referring to live ammunition.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The affidavit also showed that Ms Gutierrez said ammunition wasn’t secured on set during a lunch break before the incident, but that firearms were kept in a safe during the break and there was no live ammunition ever kept on a movie set.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said “only a few people” had access to the safe and knew the combination to open it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dave Halls, the assistant director, also told investigators he “should have checked all” the rounds in the gun before handing it to Mr Baldwin but hadn’t, according to the affidavit.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-59055138" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BBC</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Mr Halls had previously been fired from a production over gun safety violations which resulted in the minor injury of a crew member. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Ms Carmack-Altwies said “no one has been ruled out at this point” in regards to potential criminal charges.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845152/baldwin2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fc36683ff8924cdf9f368ea22d921aa9" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Locals held a vigil for Ms Hutchins in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is a very complex case,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It will take many more facts, corroborated facts, before we get to that criminal negligence standard.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked about the use of real weapons on film sets, Sheriff Mendoza said: “I think the industry has had a record recently of being safe.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think there was some complacency on this set,” he continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And I think there are some safety issues that need to be addressed by the industry and possibly by the state of New Mexico.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Investigators said they were also following up on reports of target practice taking place on or near the set.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Any time a firearm is around or about, safety is paramount,” Sheriff Mendoza said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Camera operators had also walked off the set prior to the incident in protest against the working conditions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think the facts are clear, the weapon was handed to Mr Baldwin. The weapon is functional and fired a live round, killing Ms Hutchins and injuring Mr Souza,” Sheriff Mendoza said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new information comes after a vigil was held for Ms Hutchins, acting as </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/27/alec-baldwin-shooting-accident-rust-movie-press-conference-santa-fe-charges" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">an outlet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for frustration over the working conditions many crew members believe are related to her death.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></span></p>

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