(LibertySons.org) – In October 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the movie set of “Rust” in New Mexico when a prop gun discharged during a scene. The star, Alec Baldwin, was holding the revolver while rehearsing. The gun was not supposed to contain live rounds, and the actor claimed he didn’t even pull the trigger. In January, Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, months after similar charges were dropped.
On January 31, the BBC reported that Baldwin entered a not-guilty plea via a court filing just one day before he was due to appear virtually in a Santa Fe court. The prosecution claims to have “additional facts” proving the actor was responsible for Hutchins’ death and Director Joel Souza’s wounding. Although Baldwin insisted he only pulled the hammer back and didn’t compress the trigger, a recent report stated that tests show the trigger had to have been pulled to fire.
However, not depressing the trigger wasn’t Baldwin’s only defense. His attorneys also argued the actor wasn’t at fault because he had no way of knowing the Colt 45 contained live rounds. According to Time, an affidavit from Baldwin’s team stated that Assistant Director Dave Halls handed the gun over, yelling “cold gun” to indicate the weapon was safe. Immediately after the tragedy, Baldwin released a statement on social media relaying his “shock and sadness” about Hutchins’ death. The actor said he “deeply admired” her and said he was “fully cooperating” with the investigation.
A year after the shooting, Axios reported that Baldwin reached an undisclosed settlement with Hutchins’ family following a suit filed against the actor. The family called the incident a “terrible accident” and had no desire to blame anyone in particular.
New Mexico law lists involuntary manslaughter as a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months behind bars and probation. It’s unclear when the case will go to trial.
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