News Desk
WASHINGTON: US actor Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday over a “reckless” disregard for safety leading to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust – a Western movie – in New Mexico in 2021, according to court documents.
Baldwin was on the phone during weapons training for a movie where he shot a cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021, prosecutors said.
Hutchins died shortly after getting shot on the set of Rust in New Mexico.
Santa Fe’s District Attorney’s Office accused Baldwin of “many instances of extremely reckless acts”.
Rust’s armourer has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The documents issued on Tuesday detailing the charges – announced on January 19 – said that the film’s set was highly chaotic with a reckless approach to gun safety.
Baldwin was “distracted” talking to his family on his cellphone during training on operating the prop gun, Robert Shilling, an investigator for the district attorney’s office, said in a statement of probable cause filed with the manslaughter charges.
Hutchins’ death could’ve been avoided if Baldwin didn’t point gun at her: investigator
He argued that the ” tragedy would not have occurred if Baldwin had performed mandatory safety checks with armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and avoided pointing the gun at Hutchins, the “tragedy would not have occurred”.
“This reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol directly caused the fatal shooting,” he said.
“Baldwin knew the first rule of gun safety is never point a gun at someone you don’t intend to shoot,” Shilling added.
The charging document mentions at least a dozen “acts or omissions of recklessness” that led to the shooting.
