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Alec Baldwin film set shooting case ends after prosecutors drop appeal [Update@ Post#96]

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A woman has died and a man has been injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a New Mexico film set.

Police in the US state said Mr Baldwin discharged the weapon during filming for the 19th Century western Rust.

The woman was taken to hospital but died of her injuries. The man, the film's director, was receiving emergency care.

A spokesperson for Mr Baldwin told AP news agency the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks.

The woman has been named as Halyna Hutchins, 42, who was working as director of photography. The man being treated is Joel Souza, 48, the film's director.

Police are still investigating the incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular filming location, and no charges have been filed.

In a statement to AFP news agency, a Santa Fe sheriff spokesman said Mr Baldwin had spoken with detectives.

"He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews," the spokesperson said.

According to her personal website, Ms Hutchins was from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle. She studied journalism in Kyiv, and film in Los Angeles, and was named a "rising star" by the American Cinematographer magazine in 2019.

She was the director of photography for the 2020 action film Archenemy, directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer.

"I'm so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set," Mr Mortimer said in a tweet.

In a statement, the International Cinematographer's Guild said Ms Hutchins' death was "devastating news" and "a terrible loss".

"The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event," said guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine.

Police said sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Bonanza Creek Ranch at around 13:50 local time (19:50 GMT) after receiving an emergency call about a shooting on set.

Mr Baldwin is a co-producer of the film and plays its namesake, an outlaw whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of an accidental murder.

The eldest of four brothers, all actors, Mr Baldwin has starred in numerous TV and film roles since the 1980s.

He won numerous awards for his role as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. His portrayal of Donald Trump on sketch show Saturday Night Live also won him critical acclaim, and a third Primetime Emmy.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59005500
 
Catastrophic health & safety failure by the look of it.
 
I always wondered about the safety - thought props did not have live ammo?
 
Freak accident. One that cost a life.

They should use something else instead of blank cartridge.
 
With the evolution of technology, is it that hard to develop a gun that just makes a sound and recoil effect without actually loading anything in it?
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">1-<br>There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and</p>— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlecBaldwin/status/1451572461787439106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2- I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.</p>— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlecBaldwin/status/1451573351588106246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Shocking.

Someone needs to be held accountable. Accidents happen but this is really poor.
 
street cricketer said:
With the evolution of technology, is it that hard to develop a gun that just makes a sound and recoil effect without actually loading anything in it?
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I thought when I heard this story. I am so surprised that the guns they use as film set props, in the year 2021, are capable of causing death! The fact that this can happen even by pure accident is immensely shocking.
 
This will haunt Alec Baldwin for the rest of his life.
 
What a horrible incident for everyone involved. So shocking.

To think of how many action films involving weapons are released almost every single week, such danger never crosses one's mind about the making of these films. I'm sure this will change the mindset and outlook on the sets of all such movies from now on, people will be a lot more careful and on edge.
 
street cricketer said:
With the evolution of technology, is it that hard to develop a gun that just makes a sound and recoil effect without actually loading anything in it?
Click to expand...

Or just edit such an effect in post production? So many solutions compared to having rounds surely.
 
Needs to be tried for manslaughter. You can't take someone's life and be allowed to get away with it
 
Savak said:
Needs to be tried for manslaughter. You can't take someone's life and be allowed to get away with it
Click to expand...

He’s given a piece of equipment which he is told is safe and it malfunctions.

Were this incident in the UK then the state would prepare a Corporate Manslaughter charge because it is difficult to pin blame on any individual - the one holding the device when the accident occurred? The armourer? The director, the floor manager, the producer?
 
The gun that actor Alec Baldwin fired on set, killing a woman, was handed to him by a director who told him it was safe, court records show.

Assistant director Dave Halls did not know the prop contained live ammunition and indicated it was unloaded by shouting "cold gun!", the records say.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot in the chest in Thursday's incident on the set of the film Rust.

Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded.

The 48-year-old received emergency treatment for a shoulder injury and was later released from hospital.

Further details of the police investigation were released on Friday when a search warrant was filed at a court in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

It noted that Baldwin's blood-stained outfit was taken as evidence along with the gun. Ammunition and other prop weapons were also taken from the set by police.

The 63-year-old actor was questioned by law enforcement, but no-one has been charged over the incident.

Earlier on Friday, Baldwin - who was the star and producer of the film - said he was "fully co-operating" with the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.

"My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna," he wrote on Twitter.

"There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours."

Ms Hutchins, 42, was from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle. She studied journalism in Kyiv, and film in Los Angeles, and was named a "rising star" by the American Cinematographer magazine in 2019.

She was the director of photography for the 2020 action film Archenemy, directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer.

According to the Los Angeles Times, about half a dozen members of the camera crew on Rust walked out hours before the tragedy after protesting over working conditions on the set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

The union members had reportedly complained that they were promised hotel rooms in Santa Fe, but once filming of the Western began they were required to drive 50 miles (80km) from Albuquerque every morning.

Meanwhile, the BBC has obtained a document showing which crew members were listed as scheduled to be on set that day.

It names a head armourer, the crew member responsible for checking firearms. Hannah Gutierrez Reed is in her twenties and, according to the LA Times, had recently worked in this role for the first time.

The prop gun that Baldwin fired contained a "live single round", according to an email sent by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees to its membership, reports Variety.

In Rust, Baldwin was starring as an outlaw whose grandson is sentenced to hang for an accidental killing.

The actor is best known for his role as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock and for his portrayal of Donald Trump on the sketch show Saturday Night Live.

Such incidents on film sets are extremely rare.

Real firearms are often used in filming, and are loaded with blanks - cartridges that create a flash and a bang without discharging a projectile.

In 1993, Brandon Lee - the 28-year-old son of the late martial arts star Bruce Lee - died on set after being accidentally shot with a prop gun while filming a death scene for the film The Crow. The gun mistakenly had a dummy round loaded in it.

BBC
 
Technics 1210 said:
No, it was a live round cos it was an actual bullet (live ammunition). The person who loaded the gun was a 20 - year old, and it was the first time she was working on set.

Alec Baldwin told gun was safe before fatal shooting - court records https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59018391
Click to expand...

Live propellant in the cartridge, but no bullet. The supersonic shockwave from the cartridge is still sufficient to crack a skull or fibrillate a heart, even without the projectile.
 
Robert said:
He’s given a piece of equipment which he is told is safe and it malfunctions.

Were this incident in the UK then the state would prepare a Corporate Manslaughter charge because it is difficult to pin blame on any individual - the one holding the device when the accident occurred? The armourer? The director, the floor manager, the producer?
Click to expand...

He is also the producer of the movie. He is responsible for everything including safety. He fired the gun without double checking. He is criminally responsible.
 
Savak said:
He is also the producer of the movie. He is responsible for everything including safety. He fired the gun without double checking. He is criminally responsible.
Click to expand...

I’m not sure how safety law works in the USA but that wouldn’t be the case here. A factory owner is not responsible for checking every machine. He delegates responsibility to managers who delegate to section supervisors, and even then the individual operators are responsible for pre-start checks.
 
An assistant director handed Alec Baldwin a prop firearm and yelled "cold gun" before the actor fired the weapon, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza, according to a court document.

The "cold gun" remark was meant to indicate that the weapon did not have live rounds, according to an affidavit for a search warrant for the movie set filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT.

According to the affidavit, Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns by assistant director David Halls that were set up in a cart by an armorer for the movie "Rust."

Halls did not know there were live rounds in the gun, the affidavit said.

But when the actor fired the gun, a live round hit Hutchins, 42, in the chest and wounded Souza, 48, who was nearby, according to the affidavit.

Hutchins was pronounced dead at the hospital after being airlifted, the affidavit says. A verified GoFundMe page created for Hutchins' family raised more than $100,000 in less than a day. Hutchins is survived by her husband and 9-year-old son, the page says.

Before Thursday's shooting, some crew members quit the production over concerns related to safety -- including gun inspections and Covid-19 protocols not being followed, according to the Los Angeles Times and other media reports.

Three crew members who were on the set last weekend told the Times there were two accidental prop gun discharges before Thursday.

The rounds were accidentally fired October 16 by Baldwin's stunt double after he was told the gun was "cold," two of the crew members, who witnessed the discharges, told the newspaper.

The film's production company told Deadline in a statement that it was not notified of official complaints regarding weapon or prop safety on set.

"We will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down," Rust Movie Productions, LLC said in a statement. "The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company."

CNN has made multiple attempts to reach Rust Movie Productions for comment but has not received a response.

Armorer voiced doubt about experience level

Hannah Gutierrez, the armorer for the movie, had recently finished work on her first project as head armorer, she said in a September podcast interview.

Gutierrez was identified as the armorer who "set-up" the prop gun used by Baldwin, according to a search warrant issued by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office Friday.

"I was really nervous about it at first," Gutierrez said of working as head armorer on the set of the movie "The Old Way," starring Nicolas Cage.

"I almost didn't take the job because I wasn't sure if I was ready, but doing it, like it went really smoothly," she said in an interview on the Voices of the West podcast, which is dedicated to the Old West.

"It's really cool... really badass way to start off a really long and cool career, I'm hoping," Gutierrez added.

Gutierrez said her father, Thell Reed -- a gunsmith, stuntman and armorer -- started passing on his knowledge of guns when she was 16 years old. Though she studied filmmaking and aspired to act, she said, the transition to armorer seemed natural.

"I tried it with dad one time and then I noticed I had a really natural knack for it -- growing up around guns my whole life," Gutierrez said.

Her work as armorer ranges from teaching actors how to wear a gun belt to aiming and shooting, she said.

"I have to like just show them how to hold it straight, make it look like they're aiming at something and also you have to teach them about the recoil," said Gutierrez.

She added, "These blanks don't really have regular like push back that regular bullets do. In order to make it look more realistic tell the actors to create a little bit of recoil with their wrist."

'Make sure that the weapon is truly cold'

"Cold guns" aren't supposed to be loaded, particularly during rehearsals, a weapons expert told CNN on Friday.

"You have to make sure that the weapon is truly cold, which means there should have been no rounds in there, period. And especially if it's a rehearsal," Bryan Carpenter, an armorer and weapons master in the film industry, told CNN.

A distraught Alec Baldwin lingers in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's offices on Camino Justicia after being questioned on Thursday.

Carpenter added that while it's acceptable for some actors to want to get a feel of a weapon during rehearsals, it's crucial to ensure the prop guns are not filled with any rounds. He noted that weapons on sets should be confirmed "cold" by two people to avoid such tragic incidents.

Despite safety measures, fatal production accidents have happened.

While filming the movie "The Crow" in 1993, actor Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was killed in a prop gun shooting accident.

Even blank ammunition can be deadly if fired at close range. In 1984, actor John-Eric Hexum was playing around with a gun on the set of "Cover Up: Golden Opportunity" and died after putting the gun to his head and pulling the trigger.

Prop master Joseph Fisher told CNN on Friday that even when there is no "bullet" in a prop gun, there are still projectiles, including gun powder and gas which can be dangerous within a certain range.

Multiple agencies are investigating how this shooting happened

"Rust," which was being shot at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico, was starring Baldwin, who is also a producer of the film.
A 911 call obtained by KOAT offered a glimpse into the minutes following the shooting. A crew member told the operator that two people had been "accidentally" shot on set.

"We need some help a director and a camera woman have been shot," a woman told the operator. "I was sitting, we were rehearsing and it went off, and I ran out, we all ran out."

Baldwin on Friday said he's in contact with Hutchins' family.

There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours," Baldwin tweeted.

"I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."

According to the affidavit, all firearms and ammunition, cameras and computer equipment and the clothes worn by the actors at the time of the shooting were to be seized.

Baldwin's western-style clothes appeared to be stained with blood, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office affidavit.

The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau is also investigating.

"The production company reported the fatality and injury to OHSB last night, in accordance with workplace safety laws. OHSB is investigating the incident in coordination with law enforcement, the employer, and employees," the agency said in a statement.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office also secured the shooting scene, spokesman Juan Ríos said.

CNN's Ray Sanchez, Melissa Alonso, Lisa Respers France, Kaylene Chassie, Kay Jones, Rebekah Riess, Sandra Gonzalez and Andy Rose contributed to this report.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/23/entertainment/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-saturday/index.html
 
Actor Alec Baldwin was drawing a revolver across his body and pointing it at a camera during a rehearsal on a US film set when it fired with tragic results, legal documents have revealed.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured while filming Rust on Thursday.

Affidavits containing statements from Souza and camera operator Reid Russell have shed more light on what happened.

Baldwin was handed a prop gun and told it was unloaded, court documents said.

Souza was standing behind Hutchins when they were both hit, according to the affidavit.

"Joel stated that they had Alec sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practicing a cross draw," it said.


"Joel said he was looking over the shoulder of [Hutchins], when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop."

The document said 42-year-old Hutchins was shot in the chest area.

"Joel then vaguely remembers [Hutchins] complaining about her stomach and grabbing her mid-section. Joel also said [Hutchins] began to stumble backwards and she was assisted to the ground."

Russell, who was standing next to Hutchins at the time of the shooting, told officials she said she could not feel her legs.

When asked how Baldwin treated firearms on the set, Russell said the actor was very careful, citing an instance when the star made sure a child actor was not near him when a gun was being discharged.

On Friday, authorities said assistant director Dave Halls had handed the weapon to Baldwin and announced "cold gun", indicating it was safe to use.

Meanwhile, Serge Svetnoy, chief electrician for Rust, said in a Facebook post on Sunday he held Hutchins in his arms while she was dying and blamed "negligence and unprofessionalism" for her death.

On Sunday, a crew member who worked with Halls on another project said she had raised safety concerns about him in 2019.

Crew unrest
Maggie Goll, a prop maker and licensed pyrotechnician, told the Associated Press (AP) he disregarded safety protocols for weapons and pyrotechnics on the set of a TV show and tried to continue filming after the supervising pyrotechnician lost consciousness.

Halls has not returned AP's requests for comment. Goll added: "This situation is not about Dave Halls... It's in no way one person's fault. It's a bigger conversation about safety on set and what we are trying to achieve with that culture."

Both Souza and Russell also described a walkout by a camera crew shortly before last week's accident in New Mexico.

"Reid stated that the camera crew was having issues with production involving payment and housing," the affidavit said, explaining that six of the crew had left.

The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation into the incident, while the producers are also carrying out an internal investigation.

The producers have halted work on the set until "at least until investigations are complete".

In a statement read at a candlelight vigil on Saturday, Hutchins's husband Matthew called his wife's death "an enormous loss".

He also posted photos of the pair with their nine-year-old son.

Baldwin's co-star Jensen Ackles also paid tribute to Hutchins.

"I'm not even sure where to start," he wrote. "This has been a tragedy of epic proportions that we are all still processing.

"There just aren't enough words to express what an immense loss this is. She will be incredibly missed by all of us who knew and admired her."

Calls have grown for a ban on live firearms on film sets, with a petition gathering more than 23,000 signatures by Monday. Actor Olivia Wilde was among those to lend support.

California Senator Dave Cortese said on Saturday he would push a bill banning live ammunition on movie sets in the state.

He said: "There is an urgent need to address alarming work abuses and safety violations occurring on the set of theatrical productions, including unnecessary high-risk conditions such as the use of live firearms."

But some industry professionals said the use of weapons was not the problem.

Film armourer SL Huang said she had worked on hundreds of film sets without incident, thanks to the stringent safety protocols.

BBC
 
Alec Baldwin has spoken out in public for the first time since he accidentally shot dead cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a film set earlier this month, saying "she was my friend".

Speaking to reporters, the actor said he would be in favour of limiting the future use of firearms on film productions to protect peoples' safety.

He said the police had ordered him not to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Prosecutors say they have not ruled out filing criminal charges over the case.

Ms Hutchins, 42, was shot on the set of the western film Rust in the US state of New Mexico, when Mr Baldwin unknowingly fired a gun loaded with a real bullet. The movie's director, Joel Souza, was wounded in the shoulder.

"She was my friend. The day I arrived in Santa Fe and started shooting I took her to dinner with Joel," Mr Baldwin told photographers who had been following him and his family in the state of Vermont.

"We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened."

Video of the exchange was published by the TMZ website. Mr Baldwin said the incident was a "one in a trillion episode" and that accidents of this nature very rarely happen.

"An ongoing effort to limit the use of firearms on film sets is something I'm extremely interested in," he added.

On Wednesday, investigators said a "lead projectile" had been removed from the director's shoulder, and that it appeared to be a live round. They said there was "some complacency" around safety on the set.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armourer who was in charge of guns on the set on Rust, issued a statement this week saying she did not know where "the live rounds came from".

They said she had "never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds with these guns and nor would she permit that" and blamed producers for cutting corners, creating unsafe working conditions.

Mr Baldwin, who was also a producer on Rust, said he "sincerely doubts" that production on the film will ever resume. A spokesperson for the producers of the movie has not commented.

BBC
 
Alec Baldwin has shared comments from a crew member rejecting suggestions that the set of his film Rust was unsafe.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died last month when the actor fired a gun that he had been told was not loaded.

Costume designer Terese Magpale Davis wrote that "the story being spun of us being overworked and surrounded by unsafe, chaotic conditions" was untrue.

Baldwin, who is also a producer on the film, shared her comments on Instagram with the caption: "Read this."

The Hollywood star, 63, accidentally shot Hutchins during rehearsals for the Western in New Mexico last month. Director Joel Souza was injured.

A police investigation is under way, with the Santa Fe county sheriff saying there had been "some complacency" in how weapons were handled.

Other crew members have criticised the safety measures, with chief electrician Serge Svetnoy writing on Facebook that he blamed "negligence and unprofessionalism" for the tragedy.

It has also emerged that some crew members walked off set before the accident in a dispute over accommodation and hours.

Davis said the team had "several safety meetings, sometimes multiple per day", and that "concerns were heard and addressed".

Accidental discharges are "more common than you think", she added.

Davis defended the film's weapons expert, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who handed the gun to assistant director David Halls before he gave it to Baldwin.

Rust was Reed's second film in the role. "How do you suppose anyone will get that experience? We all had a first and second job at one point or another," Davis wrote.

On Wednesday, Reed's lawyer suggested the incident was an act of "sabotage".

"We're afraid that could have been what happened here, that somebody intended to sabotage this set with a live round intentionally placed in a box of dummies," Jason Bowles told ABC TV's Good Morning America.

"We're not saying anybody had any intent there was going to be a tragedy of homicide, but they wanted to do something to cause a safety incident on set. That's what we believe happened."

'Not flippant about safety'
Meanwhile, Davis also refused to criticise Halls, writing: "Our AD [assistant director] never seemed flippant about safety... I won't jump on the bandwagon and pretend that he was uncaring about our safety the whole way through."

Earlier this week, Halls said he was "shocked and saddened" by the death of Hutchins.

"It's my hope that this tragedy prompts the industry to re-evaluate its values and practices to ensure no one is harmed through the creative process again," he added.

Halls had shouted "cold gun", indicating it was safe, before handing it to Baldwin, according to court documents.

Davis said she would fight for live guns never to be allowed on film sets again in Hutchins's name.

She added her voice to dozens of Hollywood's most prominent cinematographers, who have this week called on the industry to "ban all functional firearms on set".

Greig Fraser (who has worked on Dune), Rachel Morrison (Black Panther), Mandy Walker (Mulan) and Alice Brooks (In the Heights) were among 200 people to have signed a statement.

"We vow to no longer put ourselves and our crew in these unnecessarily lethal situations," it read. "We have safe alternatives in VFX [visual effects] and non-functional firearms.

"We won't wait for the industry to change. We have a duty to effect change within the industry ourselves."

Production on Rust has been halted indefinitely while authorities investigate the shooting. Prosecutors have said it is too early to tell if criminal charges will be brought.

Meanwhile, Baldwin's wife Hilaria has posted a message on Instagram condemning the paparazzi for harassing her family since the incident.

"They have not respected our ask to have space, even after the interview we pulled over to do the other day. We have been chased around in cars - with our children. Several scary moments… this is dangerous."

The actor spoke publicly about the shooting over the weekend, calling it a "one-in-a-trillion event".

"[Hutchins] was my friend," he told photographers in Vermont. "We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened."

BBC
 
I still don't understand the need for live ammunition at a movie set!
 
Alec Baldwin film tragedy: Crew member sues for negligence

The head electrician on the film set where Alec Baldwin accidentally shot dead cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last month is suing the actor and other crew members over the incident.

Serge Svetnoy, a friend of Hutchins, is alleging negligence that resulted in "severe emotional distress". He says the bullet narrowly missed him.

The authorities are still investigating the 21 October incident in New Mexico.

No criminal charges have been brought against anyone.Assistant director Dave Halls has told investigators he failed to check all the rounds in the gun before handing it over to Mr Baldwin, according to a court document.

Mr Halls reportedly called out "cold gun" as he gave it to the actor, meaning he believed it to be safe.A film director was also injured in the shooting on the set of the Western film Rust.

Who was Halyna Hutchins?
What are the rules for guns on film sets?

Mr Svetnoy's civil lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles. It names nearly two dozen defendants.

During a news conference on Wednesday, Mr Svetnoy, 63, said he had seen guns sitting unattended in the dirt a few days before the fatal shooting, adding that he had warned the people responsible for them.

His lawsuit alleges that on the day of the shooting he "felt a strange and terrifying whoosh of what felt like pressurised air", when the gun went off. He was struck by "discharge materials from the blast".

At the news conference, Mr Svetnoy said he had kneeled down to try to help Ms Hutchins.

Neither Mr Baldwin, 63, nor other defendants named in the lawsuit have so far publicly commented on the latest developments.Meanwhile, a lawyer for the film's armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the guns and ammunition on set, issued a statement on Wednesday reiterating that she did not know how a live round came to be there.

"We are asking for a full and complete investigation of all of the facts, including the live rounds themselves, how they ended up in the 'dummies' box, and who put them in there," attorney Jason Bowles said.

"We are convinced that this was sabotage and Hannah is being framed. We believe that the scene was tampered with as well before the police arrived."

However, in an interview on Wednesday, Santa Fe county district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said investigators "do not have any proof" of sabotage.

Asked on ABC TV's Good Morning America whether she thought it was a possibility, she replied: "No."

The question of how live rounds got on set "will be one of the most important factors" when deciding whether to bring charges, she added.

Via : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59244091
 
Alec Baldwin: Rust script didn't call for gun to be fired, lawsuit alleges

A lawsuit against Alec Baldwin alleges that a film script did not require him to fire a gun when he fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Script supervisor Mamie Mitchell - who called police after the shooting on the New Mexico film set - filed the suit.

Her lawyer accused the actor of "playing Russian roulette" when he fired the gun without checking it.

Mr Baldwin and the film's producers, who were also named in the lawsuit, have not yet commented.

The Hollywood actor has previously shared comments from a crew member rejecting suggestions that the film set was unsafe.

Authorities are still investigating the 21 October shooting that took place on the set of the Western film Rust. No criminal charges have been brought against anyone.

Ms Mitchell's lawsuit claims that the script called for three tight camera shots - one of Mr Baldwin's eyes, another of a bloodstain on his shoulder and a third of his torso "as he reached his hand down to the holster and removed the gun".

"There was nothing in the script about the gun being discharged by defendant Baldwin or by any other person," it says.

In a news conference on Wednesday, her lawyer Gloria Allred described the behaviour of Mr Baldwin and the film's producers as "reckless", as she accused them of failing to follow safety protocols.

According to court records, Mr Baldwin was handed the weapon by the film's assistant director who did not know it contained live ammunition and indicated it was unloaded by shouting "cold gun".

Ms Allred said Mr Baldwin "chose to play Russian roulette when he fired a gun without checking it and without having the armourer do so in his presence".

She added that a range of safety failures meant that it was "a case where injury or death was much more than just a possibility — it was a likely result".

Ms Mitchell was standing less than 4ft (1.2m) away from Mr Baldwin when the weapon was discharged, according to the lawsuit.

"I relive the shooting and the sound of the explosion from the gun over and over again," she told reporters.

Her lawsuit is claiming assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and deliberate infliction of harm, and is requesting unspecified damages.

It is the second to be filed over the incident, after the set's head electrician began legal action earlier this month.

The film's armourer, who was responsible for the guns and ammunition on set, has said she does not know how a live round came to be in the weapon.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59328040
 
Alec Baldwin says he "didn't pull the trigger" of the gun that fatally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film, Rust.

The star made the claim in his first sit-down interview since the incident in October.

"I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never," he told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

The interview was recorded on Tuesday, and is due to be broadcast in the US on Thursday evening.

Mr Stephanopoulos described their 80-minute discussion as "raw" and "intense.

The journalist described Mr Baldwin, 63, as "devastated" yet "very candid" and "forthcoming", while previewing the interview on Wednesday's Good Morning America.

"I've done thousands of interviews in the last 20 years at ABC," he said. "This was the most intense I've ever experienced."
 
Now that will definitely be an interview to watch, and to watch back again after it has aired.

Still quite a few questions surrounding this incident.

Wonder if Baldwin will want to work again within the industry in the future.
 
Alec Baldwin has admitted his acting career may be over after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust.

"It could be," the 63-year-old actor said in an interview to George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, adding that he did not care.

Mr Baldwin also said he "didn't pull the trigger" of the gun during the incident on 21 October in New Mexico.

"Someone put a live bullet in a gun" he said. "I know it's not me".

Mr Baldwin is best-known for his performances in films like Glengarry Glen Ross and The Hunt For Red October, as well as his impersonation of Donald Trump on US sketch show Saturday Night Live.

The ABC interview was broadcast in the US on Thursday evening.

"I don't know what happened on that set. I don't know how that bullet arrived in that gun. I don't know," Mr Baldwin said.

"But I'm all for doing anything that will take us to a place where this is less likely to happen again."

The actor said that during the rehearsal on 21 October Hutchins was directing his every move.

"She's guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle.

"I'm holding the gun where she told me to hold it, which ended up being aimed right below her armpit."

To get the shot, the actor said he needed to cock the gun - but not fire it.

"The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger.

"I cock the gun. I go, 'Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?'

"And then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off," Mr Baldwin said.

The interview marks the first time Mr Baldwin has spoken about the incident on camera, except for a brief interview he gave to TMZ in October, in a bid to stop the paparazzi from following him and his family.

Ms Hutchins, 42, was flown to hospital by helicopter after the shooting - but later died of her injuries. Director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured.

According to court records, Mr Baldwin was handed the weapon by the film's assistant director, Dave Halls, who did not know it contained live ammunition and indicated it was unloaded by shouting "cold gun".

Mr Halls had been given the gun by Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the 24-year-old armourer on the film.

Lawyers for Ms Gutierrez-Reed have said she did not know where "the live rounds came from". That question is now at the centre of a police investigation in the US.

Investigators have already obtained a warrant to search the premises of an arms supplier in the US.

An affidavit with the warrant says police have been told ammunition for the film came from several sources, including PDQ Arm & Prop.

The affidavit says the ammunition supplier's owner, Seth Kenney, has told the investigators the live round might have been from some "reloaded ammunition".

He says the ammunition he supplied for the film consisted of dummy rounds and blanks, according to the affidavit.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-59514525
 
Alec Baldwin has said he does not feel guilt over the fatal film-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins - and that there is "only one question to be resolved - where did the live round come from?"

Speaking in his first interview since the gun he was holding fired and killed Ms Hutchins on the set of the Western Rust in October, Baldwin told Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos that he and the cinematographer "had something profound in common, and that is we both assumed the gun was empty".

When asked if he felt guilt over her death, the actor and producer, 63, said: "No. No. I feel that... someone is responsible for what happened and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me. Honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might've killed myself if I thought that I was responsible. And I don't say that lightly."
 
Saj said:
Alec Baldwin has said he does not feel guilt over the fatal film-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins - and that there is "only one question to be resolved - where did the live round come from?"

Speaking in his first interview since the gun he was holding fired and killed Ms Hutchins on the set of the Western Rust in October, Baldwin told Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos that he and the cinematographer "had something profound in common, and that is we both assumed the gun was empty".

When asked if he felt guilt over her death, the actor and producer, 63, said: "No. No. I feel that... someone is responsible for what happened and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me. Honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might've killed myself if I thought that I was responsible. And I don't say that lightly."
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Pathetic guy. Got some softball questions from his buddy and in return made some pretty insensitive comments. IMO his PR machine is overdoing it.
 
Alec Baldwin is in "unimaginable pain" following the fatal film-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, his wife Hilaria has said.

In a post on Instagram, Mrs Baldwin said her husband had been "somehow put in this unthinkable nightmare".

The Hollywood actor, 63, accidentally shot and killed Halyna Hutchins when a gun he was holding went off during filming for Rust in New Mexico.

In a first interview on the shooting, he said he does not feel guilt and there is "only one question to be resolved - where did the live round come from?"

His wife, 37, with whom he has six children, said the tragedy is "etched in my memory".

Alongside a picture of the couple on their wedding day, she wrote: "The horrific loss, the torture to her family, and you, my husband, somehow put in this unthinkable nightmare.

"I am here, I love you, and I will take care of you. These were the only words that came to me when we learned Halyna had died. I remember saying that phrase over and over again."

Mrs Baldwin said she was unsure whether the actor should have given the interview.

She added: "I was afraid for you to open up because I've seen your spirit crushed, your mental health shattered, your soul in unimaginable pain.

"Sometimes I wonder how much one body, one mind can take. I don't want to lose you.

"You know yourself and wanted to speak. I am proud of you. We become scared and crumble as some speak about us. Everything gets twisted and turned, torn apart, picked at, even invented."

Mrs Baldwin described the couple as "easy targets", because they are "messy, unfiltered, and wear our hearts, naked, on our sleeves".

She continued: "We are so sensitive that to hurt us is easy."

She finished by writing "We honour Halyna and her family," and hopes the cause of the shooting will be discovered "to make sure it never happens again".

Meanwhile, some of the people who handled guns on the film set may face criminal charges, New Mexico's district attorney has said.

Mary Carmack-Altwies has not made any decisions yet on charges, she added, but said everyone involved "in the handling and use of firearms on the set had a duty to behave in a manner such that the safety of others was protected."

Once the investigation is complete "certain individuals may be criminally culpable for his/her actions and/or inactions on the set of Rust", she said.

SKY
 
MenInG said:
Alec Baldwin is in "unimaginable pain" following the fatal film-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, his wife Hilaria has said.

In a post on Instagram, Mrs Baldwin said her husband had been "somehow put in this unthinkable nightmare".

The Hollywood actor, 63, accidentally shot and killed Halyna Hutchins when a gun he was holding went off during filming for Rust in New Mexico.

In a first interview on the shooting, he said he does not feel guilt and there is "only one question to be resolved - where did the live round come from?"

His wife, 37, with whom he has six children, said the tragedy is "etched in my memory".

Alongside a picture of the couple on their wedding day, she wrote: "The horrific loss, the torture to her family, and you, my husband, somehow put in this unthinkable nightmare.

"I am here, I love you, and I will take care of you. These were the only words that came to me when we learned Halyna had died. I remember saying that phrase over and over again."

Mrs Baldwin said she was unsure whether the actor should have given the interview.

She added: "I was afraid for you to open up because I've seen your spirit crushed, your mental health shattered, your soul in unimaginable pain.

"Sometimes I wonder how much one body, one mind can take. I don't want to lose you.

"You know yourself and wanted to speak. I am proud of you. We become scared and crumble as some speak about us. Everything gets twisted and turned, torn apart, picked at, even invented."

Mrs Baldwin described the couple as "easy targets", because they are "messy, unfiltered, and wear our hearts, naked, on our sleeves".

She continued: "We are so sensitive that to hurt us is easy."

She finished by writing "We honour Halyna and her family," and hopes the cause of the shooting will be discovered "to make sure it never happens again".

Meanwhile, some of the people who handled guns on the film set may face criminal charges, New Mexico's district attorney has said.

Mary Carmack-Altwies has not made any decisions yet on charges, she added, but said everyone involved "in the handling and use of firearms on the set had a duty to behave in a manner such that the safety of others was protected."

Once the investigation is complete "certain individuals may be criminally culpable for his/her actions and/or inactions on the set of Rust", she said.

SKY
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Again, he and his wife making it all about him and his experiences. "Going through unimaginable pain, don't know whether I will be able to love film-making again, I am proud of my husband," etc. etc.

This man and his buddies should just shut up.
 
BreadPakoda said:
Again, he and his wife making it all about him and his experiences. "Going through unimaginable pain, don't know whether I will be able to love film-making again, I am proud of my husband," etc. etc.

This man and his buddies should just shut up.
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Why would you blame him though..

This is like blaming Sean Abbott for Philip Hughes' death.
 
street cricketer said:
Why would you blame him though..

This is like blaming Sean Abbott for Philip Hughes' death.
Click to expand...

Looks like you didn't read my comments properly and neither did you watch the interview.

I did not blame him for killing the lady. I was just calling him out for the over the top PR shenanigans.

Sean Abbott didn't orchestrate a melodramatic interview to say he "never bowled that ball to Phil".

not kidding..Alec's interview had proper background music..
 
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Alec is starting to make this “about him” rather too much. He hasn’t died, been shot or been injured.
 
https://news.sky.com/story/rust-film-set-was-not-chaotic-and-dangerous-cast-and-claim-in-new-letter-shared-by-alec-baldwin-12490963

Claims that the Rust film set was a "chaotic, dangerous and exploitative" workplace are false, according to a new statement.

Alec Baldwin has shared an open letter from cast and crew members on his Instagram page - more than a month after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set.

A prop firearm was fired by Baldwin that contained a live round on 21 October, and the film's director was also injured.

The letter - signed by more than 20 people - says they find "the public narrative surrounding our workplace tragedy to be inadequate".

And while the note acknowledges "it is common to work on unprofessional or hectic productions", it describes Rust as a "professional" environment with "areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenging".

It states the "working morale on set was high" and "laughter and optimism were common amongst cast and crew".

The letter adds: "While it is true that a few crew members quit prior to the accident, the vast majority of us remained, never feeling the need to protest or quit.

"We were enjoying our workplace. Those disgruntled few do not represent the views of all of us."

A number of people working on the set have filed lawsuits against Baldwin, including chief electrician Serge Svetnoy and script supervisor Mamie Mitchell.

The letter states the cast and crew "stand firmly" with their unions and "strongly support the fight for better working conditions" across the industry, but makes clear that they do not believe the Rust set was an example of the circumstances they are "fighting against".

It goes on to pay tribute to Ms Hutchins, describing her as the "heart of our production" and as having an "inspiring" work ethic.

"We are hurting from the loss of our friend and colleague, Halyna Hutchins. She was, in many ways, at the heart of our production, and losing her hurt every single one of us," the letter continues.

"We are hurting from the loss of our togetherness, our spirit, and the loss of our labor. We are hurting for our friends that have been targeted by the public as they themselves grieve."

The letter continues to defend working practices on the set, stating working hours and wages were "fair", housing was provided where necessary and the crew worked at the "highest levels in the industry".

"The days were scheduled tightly, but appropriately. We were keeping pace, not falling behind schedule," the note read.

"As a crew, we have no authority as to what happens "above the line." That is the work of the producers. But, in our experience, the producers and production managers were supportive of our efforts.

"They availed themselves during safety meetings to discuss any and all safety or other concerns."

The letter concludes with a plea for people to be "sympathetic" towards those involved in the tragic incident.

"We kindly request that your speculation and generalizations about us and our colleagues be sympathetic until an investigation is concluded," it states.

"We are grateful to our many friends and family that have reached out to us privately to offer compassion and support."
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The man is a murderer and he needs to be charged with man slaughter. It has now come to light that the films script did not require the gun to be fired. I am surprised that he is being let off.
 
Savak said:
The man is a murderer and he needs to be charged with man slaughter. It has now come to light that the films script did not require the gun to be fired. I am surprised that he is being let off.
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I’m not sure how one reaches this conclusion.
 
Why does he claim that he didn't pull the trigger? It was an accident, even if he pulled it thinking it was a prop gun, no one would blame him for it. Seems almost like protesting too much.
 
Something very odd about this.

Something doesn't add up.

Surely he should know if it was him who pulled the trigger or if it was somebody else.
 
Alec is telling conflicting versions of the story. He seems to have been confused and traumatised by the incident and is suffering from some sort of survivor’s guilt. Or he is hiding something.
 
James said:
Alec is telling conflicting versions of the story. He seems to have been confused and traumatised by the incident and is suffering from some sort of survivor’s guilt. Or he is hiding something.
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He is hiding his recklessness. Someone has already confirmed that firing the gun was not part of the script, he was also the producer of the film hence making him responsible for everything.
 
Savak said:
He is hiding his recklessness. Someone has already confirmed that firing the gun was not part of the script, he was also the producer of the film hence making him responsible for everything.
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He’s terrified thinking he may get locked up. Although that’s unlikely. Several accounts suggest that he’s been a bully most of his life and being a celeb always got what he wanted, so this is something new for him to deal with. And he’s understandably struggling to cope with it.
 
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Police investigating the fatal shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin film Rust have obtained a search warrant for the actor's phone.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died and director Joel Souza was injured in October, when Mr Baldwin was practising drawing a prop gun.

Mr Baldwin, 63, has insisted he "didn't pull the trigger".

The warrant was issued by a Sante Fe court in New Mexico - the state where Rust was being filmed.

It says "there may be evidence on the phone" that could be "material and relevant to this investigation".

Investigators asked to confiscate Mr Baldwin's Apple iPhone that is "believed to be in his possession".

They wanted to look at text messages, emails, web browser history and other information stored on the phone.

It comes two weeks after the star gave his first TV interview about the incident, in which he said he did not pull the trigger, but the gun went off anyway.

"I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never," he told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

Mr Baldwin said he had been told "it's highly unlikely that I would be charged with anything criminally".

The actor said he is fully co-operating with the police investigation into the shooting.

No criminal charges have been brought against anyone.

A lawsuit against Mr Baldwin alleges that a film script did not require him to fire a gun when he fatally shot Ms Hutchins.

Lawyers handling the suit described the behaviour of Mr Baldwin and the film's producers as "reckless", and accused them of failing to follow safety protocols.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59692846
 
Savak said:
He is hiding his recklessness. Someone has already confirmed that firing the gun was not part of the script, he was also the producer of the film hence making him responsible for everything.
Click to expand...

Perhaps he could be in some real trouble then.
 
Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, were pulled over by police in the Hamptons Saturday — two days after investigators issued a search warrant for the embattled actor’s cellphone, photos appear to show.

Baldwin, 63, was photographed sitting inside the car while Hilaria, 37, spoke with a cop on the side of the road before pulling out her phone and showing the screen.

The yoga instructor, who was wearing a long green coat and a white baseball cap, spoke calmly with the officer before returning to the vehicle, according to the US Sun.

It is not immediately clear why the couple was pulled over.

In a video posted to Instagram Monday, Hilaria Baldwin denied that she was pulled over, saying she sought out the police’s help after she was being chased by a paparazzi. The mom, sporting a massive diamond ring in the video, told her followers that she and her family are the victims in this situation and she needs to clear the record to stand up for herself.

“THIS IS NOT TRUE AND A LIE,” she wrote in her caption. “The ny post will come after me more for speaking out, this might make it even worse, but, as I said before, I won’t be silent while you cause harm.”

“I deserve to be treated well, my husband deserves to be treated well,” she said in the video, adding the people reporting on her and her family are “enemies of the free press.”

Baldwin also was photographed later as he stopped to pick up coffee and snacks while his wife remained in their car.

Meanwhile, the father of Halyna Hutchins, 42, the cinematographer killed by Baldwin on the set of the Western flick “Rust,” accused the actor in a new interview of being at least “partially responsible” for her death.

Anatoly Androsovych, 61, told the Sun that he did not understand Baldwin’s claim that he killed Hutchins “without pulling the trigger” — and said he was concerned that the actor deleted tweets after the tragedy.

“I can’t understand the behavior of Alec. Why did he sweep out his tweets when it became clear the shooting was on rehearsal?” the former Ukrainian submarine commander said.

“And why did he fire the shot during the preparations? The revolver is the type of gun which doesn’t shoot before the trigger is pressed and Alec is partially guilty for causing that shot,” he told the outlet.

The "Rust" actor was seen fleeing his New York City home on December 16, 2021 with his wife and cell phone which is wanted by police.
The “Rust” actor was seen fleeing his New York City home on Dec. 16 with his wife and the cellphone wanted by police.
Matt Agudo/Shutterstock
“It is clear to me Baldwin fired the shot from his hand so it’s hard for me to understand how he cannot be held partly responsible for my daughter’s death,” he added.

He also said he was unsure if his 9-year-old grandson Andros will “ever fully recover” from losing his mom.

“Andros is slowly getting back to life, but this is huge blow for all of us,” Androsovych said.

In October, he said he did not hold Baldwin responsible for his daughter’s death.

“We still can’t believe Halyna is dead and her mother is going out of her mind with grief,” Androsovych told the Sun. “But I don’t hold Alec Baldwin responsible; it is the responsibility of the props people who handle the guns.”

On Friday, the “30 Rock” actor looked exhausted as he left his downtown home alone while apparently carrying the cellphone after the warrant turned the heat up over his role in the deadly shooting.

The device took a central role in the two-month probe into Hutchins’ death a day earlier when the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico issued a search warrant for it.

Investigators were forced to issue the warrant because the star — who was also a producer for the movie — refused to hand over his phone without one, the sheriff’s department said.

Officials found conversations about prepping for the fatal movie dating back to July 14, more than three months before he accidentally shot Hutchins dead during rehearsals.

Those messages included Baldwin requesting “a bigger gun,” settling on the “period” Colt that he brandished during the deadly scene.

Baldwin — who insisted in a TV interview that he “didn’t pull the trigger” and was not responsible — has tweeted that the bigger-gun claim was “a lie.”

Hilaria railed against anyone asking questions Friday — missing the irony that she was taking photos and video because she was angry at those there taking photos and video.

“It’s so funny,” she told reporters, bragging how she was taking her own footage “that I’m going to put on my Instagram.”

“Stay away from him,” she wrote in her Instagram Stories, highlighting a reporter politely asking, “The search warrant for your phone — what do you make of that, sir? What happened, sir?”

Hilaria ripped “cruel trolls” and claimed that her hubby has been “suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder” after the on-set shooting.

https://nypost.com/2021/12/20/alec-and-hilaria-baldwin-pulled-over-by-hampton-cops/
 
Alec Baldwin still hasn’t turned over his cellphone to police nearly a month after New Mexico authorities secured a search warrant for the device following the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, police said Thursday.

Investigators from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office want the phone because they believe it contains key conversations related to what led to the prop-gun death of Hutchins while on the set of “Rust” last October.
 
Saj said:
Alec Baldwin still hasn’t turned over his cellphone to police nearly a month after New Mexico authorities secured a search warrant for the device following the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, police said Thursday.

Investigators from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office want the phone because they believe it contains key conversations related to what led to the prop-gun death of Hutchins while on the set of “Rust” last October.
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Alec Baldwin has turned over his mobile phone to police investigating a fatal shooting on a New Mexico film set.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot as Mr Baldwin, 63, rehearsed drawing a prop gun on the set of the movie Rust in October last year.

Santa Fe Sheriff's Office confirmed the actor had turned over his device to authorities near his home in New York.

Police had said earlier this week that the actor was not co-operating with the inquiry.

Santa Fe County Sheriff spokesperson Juan Rios told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that police intend to gather data like text messages and voicemails off the handset as part of their investigation into the incident.

Aaron Dyer, Mr Baldwin's attorney, told BBC partner CBS News that his client had voluntarily turned over the phone.

"But this matter isn't about his phone, and there are no answers on his phone," Mr Dyer said. "Alec did nothing wrong."

Mr Baldwin was rehearsing drawing a prop gun while filming Rust, a western, when it discharged, but he has insisted he "didn't pull the trigger".

A lawsuit against Mr Baldwin alleges that a film script did not require him to fire a gun when he fatally shot Ms Hutchins.

Lawyers handling the legal action described the behaviour of Mr Baldwin and the film's producers as "reckless", and accused them of failing to follow safety protocols.

BBC
 
Alec Baldwin says it feels "strange" to be back at work as he starts production in England on his first film since the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The actor, 63, is thought to be filming air disaster thriller 97 Minutes close to Alton in Hampshire, and has posted a series of videos on social media while in the county.

The film is directed by Timo Vuorensola and follows a hijacked aircraft set to fall from the sky in 97 minutes when its fuel runs out.

"It's strange to go back to work," Baldwin said.

"I haven't worked since October 21 of last year when this horrible thing happened on the set of this film.

We had the accident and the death of our cinematographer Halyna Hutchins - I even still find that hard to say.

A woman has died and a man has been injured after Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on a film set, officials have confirmed.
Alec Baldwin says claims he is not complying with Rust shooting investigation are a 'lie'

"But I went back to work today for the first time in three and a half months... it was interesting... I miss my kids."

The Hollywood star was later spotted eating curry at Mifta's restaurant in Alton with Martin Bashir, the disgraced BBC reporter, the Daily Mail reported.

Baldwin had earlier revealed in another video that his driver's car had been stolen within hours of landing in the UK.

In a separate video posted over the weekend, Baldwin filmed himself walking down the high street of Alton, a market town northeast of Winchester, and told his 2.4 million Instagram followers he was "going to do a little diary while I am here".

He mused about his own upbringing in a suburban town and his ambitions, and pondered: "What would it be like to live here?"

"It's nice to get out of the US and see how things are different and how they are the same," he said.

"People try to live their lives and be happy - it's the same everywhere."

He continues to fight two lawsuits brought against him following the fatal shooting of production member Ms Hutchins on the set of western Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Baldwin, who was holding the prop revolver when it discharged, says he was unaware that the gun was filled with live rounds.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the actor recently appealed to have allegations, brought by script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, thrown out.

Along with nearly two dozen other defendants associated with the film, Baldwin is also facing another lawsuit brought by the head of lighting on the film, Serge Svetnoy, over the incident.

https://news.sky.com/story/alec-bal...-work-after-halyna-hutchins-shooting-12535980
 
The husband of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and others on the set of the movie Rust.

Hutchins, 42, was shot dead in October last year while filming the western in New Mexico.
A family lawyer confirmed legal papers have now been filed in the state's Santa Fe county.

The couple's nine-year-old son is also named as one of the parties in the case, said lawyer Brian Panish.

He said Baldwin "and others responsible for safety on the set" were the target of the lawsuit.

The "reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures" of the actor and producers "led to the death of Halyna Hutchins", said Mr Panish.

Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza injured when a gun being used by Baldwin during a rehearsal on 21 October fired a real bullet.

Hollywood star Baldwin, 63, has said he was told the gun was "cold" - meaning it was safe to handle, and that he was pointing it at Hutchins at her request.

He said it went off without him pulling the trigger, but lawyers claim he turned down training for the kind of gun draw he was practising.

An animated video that recreates the shooting was also revealed on Tuesday.

Today's lawsuit is the first directly related to one of the people shot but others have already been filed.

The script supervisor and lead camera operator, who were near Hutchins when the incident happened, have each filed a lawsuit over the trauma they experienced.

The film's armourer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was named as a defendant in those cases and has been blamed by some for the shooting.

She has filed her own case against an ammo supplier, claiming it included live ammunition in a box supposed to include only dummy rounds.

'Complacency' over weapons on set

Baldwin last month turned over his phone to investigators, who have described "some complacency" in how weapons were handled on set.

However, no criminal charges have so far been brought.

The actor said in a tearful December interview: "Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but it's not me."

"I didn't pull the trigger," Baldwin said. "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never."

He said Hutchins was "somebody who was loved by everybody and admired by everybody who worked with her".

The 42-year-old grew up on an army base in the Russian Arctic, where her father served in the navy, before moving to Los Angeles to study film.

She was regarded as one of the industry's most promising young cinematographers.

SKY
 
Alec Baldwin has no financial liability for the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the film set of Rust, according to new court papers released in America.

The Hollywood star, 63, was holding the prop gun that killed the 42-year-old cinematographer in October last year while filming the western in New Mexico.

The legal filing which was submitted on Friday says that the contract signed by Baldwin with Rust Movie Productions indemnified the actor from financial responsibility for the tragedy.

Baldwin was both the star of the film, and one of its producers.

He has been named as a defendant in several civil lawsuits including one for wrongful death from Ms Hutchins husband Matt.

Ms Hutchins also had a nine-year-old son, Andros.

According to an arbitration demand filed against fellow producers, Baldwin is seeking to enforce a "broad indemnification clause", which his lawyer Luke Nikas says shields him from any financial claims resulting from the production.

Husband of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins 'so angry' Alec Baldwin did 'not accept responsibility'

The papers have also revealed that Baldwin was keen to complete the film following Ms Hutchins' death, both as a tribute to her and as a way to raise money for her husband and son.

The actor was keen to persuade cast and crew to get back to work on the project, according to the New York Times. The project is now understood to have been shelved.

Baldwin - who was holding the Colt .45 gun when it went off during a rehearsal - says he didn't pull the trigger.

He has said he was told the gun was "cold" - meaning it was safe to handle - by the film's armourer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and that he was pointing it at Hutchins at her request.

It is not known how live ammunition ended up on the set in Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico.

The new filing says Baldwin's producing role revolved around creative input, and he had no involvement with the hiring of crew members, who it says were responsible for ensuring gun safety on set.

The paper says: "This is a rare instance when the system broke down, and someone should be held legally culpable for the tragic consequences. That person is not Alec Baldwin."

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the incident. No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the shooting. Criminal charges have not been ruled out.

Hutchins grew up on an army base in the Russian Arctic, where her father served in the navy, before moving to Los Angeles to study film.

She was regarded as one of the industry's most promising young cinematographers.

SKY
 
A report into Alec Baldwin's fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust has found management "knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed".

New Mexico safety regulators have fined the film company a maximum $139,793 (£107,019) after an "avoidable loss of life occurred".

They said it "demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety by failing to review work practices and take corrective action".

Cinematographer Hutchins died after a prop gun held by Baldwin fired a live round during rehearsals in October 2021.

The actor was one of the producers of the Western, as well as its star.

"Our investigation found that this tragic incident never would have happened if Rust Movie Productions, LLC had followed national film industry standards for firearm safety," said state environment official James Kenney.

"This is a complete failure of the employer to follow recognized national protocols that keep employees safe."

The report included testimony that managers took limited or no action over two previous misfires on set.

It also documented safety complaints that went unheeded and said weapons specialists were not allowed to make decisions about extra training.

The company's documents indicated it would follow guidelines but it failed to do so, added the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) report.

Those guidelines included:

Not bringing live ammo onto any studio or lot; holding daily safety meetings when guns are used; and that staff "refrain from pointing a firearm at anyone" except after consulting the armourer or other safety rep.

Rust Movie Productions said it disagreed with the findings and planned to appeal.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Halyna's family," it said.

Lawyers have said the gun fired after Baldwin pointed it at Ms Hutchins during a scene set-up. The film's director, Joel Souza, was also injured.

Baldwin has said he was pointing the gun at her instruction and that it went off without him pulling the trigger.

The report said assistant director David Halls, who served as safety coordinator, had passed Baldwin the revolver without consulting weapons specialists during or after the moment it was loaded.

Baldwin is currently facing several lawsuits, including from script supervisor Mamie Mitchell and head of lighting Serge Svetnoy, as well as Ms Hutchins' family.

A separate investigation into possible criminal charges is ongoing.

In a December interview, Baldwin said that while he "would go to any lengths to undo what happened", he does not feel guilt over the fatal shooting - saying that while "someone is responsible for what happened... I know it's not me".

He said Ms Hutchins was "somebody who was loved by everybody and admired by everybody who worked with her".

The incident also resulted in calls from politicians for increased state-sponsored firearms training.

New Mexico's OHSB said its investigation covered 1,560 hours of staff time, 14 interviews, and review of 566 documents.

Hutchins, 42, grew up on an army base in the Russian Arctic, where her father served in the navy, before moving to Los Angeles to study film.

She was considered a rising star in her field.

https://news.sky.com/story/alec-bal...ures-not-being-followed-report-finds-12594544
 
Police have released footage from the set of the film Rust, including of the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin.

Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza also released crime scene photos and witness interviews, including Mr Baldwin's.

But police said a decision on whether to file criminal charges will depend on the outcome of future forensic work.

Halyna Hutchins, 42, was shot by Mr Baldwin while he rehearsed with what he believed to be a safe gun.

The actor, who was also a producer on the film, previously said he did not pull the trigger and had no idea how a live bullet came to be on the set near Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico.

In videos released on Monday, police and medics can be seen racing to the scene, and bodycam footage shows first responders battling to save Hutchins.

In other clips, Mr Baldwin is seen dressed as a cowboy and practising with what appears to be the gun that killed the cinematographer.

In a statement accompanying the release of the footage, Sheriff Mendoza said the investigation into the shooting "remains open and ongoing".

He said several components of the investigation remain outstanding, including firearms forensics, fingerprint analysis, a report from the medical examiner and analysis of Mr Baldwin's phone data.

"Once these investigative components are provided to the sheriff's office we will be able to complete the investigation to forward it to the Santa Fe District Attorney for review," Sheriff Mendoza said.

According to the New York Times, a spokesperson for the Sante Fe sheriff's office said authorities had decided to release the files after multiple requests from the media and because investigators wanted to show what information remained outstanding before the case could be passed on to prosecutors.

Authorities have refused to rule out filing criminal charges over the incident and in October District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told the New York Times that "everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table".

The release comes a week after producers of the film were condemned by authorities for failing to follow safety guidelines and charged the maximum fine of $136,793 (£105,000).

An investigation conducted by the New Mexico Environment Department found that the makers of the film showed "plain indifference to recognised hazards associated with use of firearms on set".

It added that the film's management "knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set and demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety by failing to review work practices and take corrective action".

The company said it disagreed with the findings and would appeal.

BBC
 
An FBI report has concluded Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger of the gun that killed a cinematographer on the Rust film set.

Baldwin accidentally shot Halyna Hutchins while they were filming the movie in October 2021 - but always maintained he did not actually pull the trigger.

However, a newly completed forensics investigation by the FBI says the weapon in question could not have been fired without the trigger being physically pulled.

The report, seen by Sky News, says that with the hammer (the part of a gun that strikes the firing pin) in the quarter - and half-cock positions, the gun "could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger".

The findings have been reviewed by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, and a further post-mortem report has classified Ms Hutchins' death as an accident.

"Death was caused by a gunshot wound of the chest," it says.

"Review of available law enforcement reports showed no compelling demonstration that the firearm was intentionally loaded with live ammunition on set.

Baldwin believed the .45 Colt he had been handed, as he was about to film a scene on the New Mexico set of the Western, was an unloaded "cold gun".

In a TV interview about the Rust shooting, Baldwin said that while he "would go to any lengths to undo what happened", he does not feel guilt over the fatal shooting - saying that while "someone is responsible for what happened... I know it's not me".

SKY
 
Alec Baldwin and the production company for the film Rust have reached a settlement with the family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was fatally shot on set.

Following the agreement, filming of Rust will resume in January 2023 - with Ms Hutchins' husband Matthew executive producing, he said in a statement.

The cinematographer died after a prop gun held by Baldwin was discharged during rehearsals for the western film in New Mexico in October 2021, and her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the star and others who worked on the production earlier this year.

Baldwin is a producer for the film, as well as its star.

Mr Hutchins said a settlement had now been reached, subject to court approval, and that as part of the agreement the civil case would be dismissed.

"The filming of Rust, which I will now executive produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023," he said. "I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr Baldwin).

"All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work."

No further details about the settlement have been released.

Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel, said: "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna's son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation."

Almost a year on, no charges have been filed in connection with the shooting.

In an on-camera interview a few weeks afterwards, Baldwin recalled the moments leading up to the tragedy. He said he was handed the revolver and told "this is a cold gun" - an industry term meaning it was either empty or loaded with dummy rounds.

He said the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger. However, a recent FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.

'We will now complete what Halyna and I started'

Director Joel Souza was also wounded when the gun went off, suffering a shoulder injury.

In a statement released following the settlement announcement, he paid tribute to Ms Hutchins and said he could only return to direct the film with her family's involvement.

"Those of us who were lucky enough to have spent time with Halyna knew her to be exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy," he said.

"I only wish the world had got to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work.

"In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family.

"Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honouring Halyna's legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf."

Attorney Melina Spadone, of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman on behalf of Rust Movie Productions, said: "We are pleased the parties came together to resolve this matter, which, subject to court approval, marks an important step forward in celebrating Halyna's life and honouring her work."

The ongoing investigation and lawsuits

The settlement comes after a report found the film's production company "knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set" and "demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety".

Rust Movie Productions was fined $136,793 (£104,810), the maximum allowable by state law in New Mexico, following a six-month investigation by the state's environment department.

Baldwin and the Rust producers also face a case brought by script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, although a Los Angeles judge recently ruled they would not have to face its central claims of assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate. In its last update in August, a spokeperson said detectives were waiting to receive and review phone records before forwarding their case file to the state's district attorney for review.

SKY
 
Alec Baldwin to be charged with manslaughter in shooting

Prosecutors announced Thursday that actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer who was killed in 2021 on a New Mexico movie set.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a statement announcing the charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who supervised weapons on the set.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals for the Western “Rust” at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Authorities said assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who led the initial investigation into Hutchins' death, described “a degree of neglect” on the film set. But he left decisions about potential criminal charges to prosecutors after delivering the results of a yearlong investigation in October. That report did not specify how live ammunition wound up on the film set.

Baldwin — known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” and his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live” — has described the killing as a “tragic accident.”

He sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun that was handed to him on the set. Baldwin, also a co-producer on “Rust,” said he was told the gun was safe.

In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins during rehearsal for a scene, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator determined the shooting was an accident following the completion of an autopsy and a review of law enforcement reports.

New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has levied the maximum fine against Rust Movie Productions, based on a scathing narrative of safety failures, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires of blank ammunition on the set prior to the fatal shooting.

Rust Movie Productions continues to challenge the basis of a $137,000 fine by regulators who say production managers on the set failed to follow standard industry protocols for firearms safety.

The armorer who oversaw firearms on the set, Gutierrez Reed, has been the subject of much of the scrutiny in the case, along with an independent ammunition supplier. An attorney for Gutierrez Reed has said she did not put a live round in the gun that killed Hutchins, and she believes she was the victim of sabotage. Authorities said they have found no evidence of that.

Investigators initially found 500 rounds of ammunition at the movie set on the outskirts of Santa Fe — a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and what appeared to be live rounds. Industry experts have said live rounds should never be on set.

In April 2022, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department released a trove of files, including lapel camera video of the mortally wounded Hutchins slipping in and out of consciousness as a medical helicopter arrived. Witness interrogations, email threads, text conversations, inventories of ammunition and hundreds of photographs rounded out that collection of evidence.

State workplace safety regulators said that immediate gun-safety concerns were addressed when “Rust” ceased filming, and that a return to filming in New Mexico would be accompanied by new safety inspections.

The family of Hutchins — widower Matthew Hutchins and son Andros — settled a lawsuit against producers under an agreement that aims to restart filming with Matthew Hutchin’s involvement as executive producer.

“Rust” was beset by disputes from the start in early October 2021. Seven crew members walked off the set just hours before the fatal shooting amid discord over working conditions.

Hutchins' death has influenced negotiations over safety provisions in film crew union contracts with Hollywood producers and spurred other filmmakers to choose computer-generated imagery of gunfire rather than real weapons with blank ammunition to minimize risks.

MSN
 
Good Decision, you cannot kill someone and expect to walk free. He was reckless, negligent, trigger happy and needs to be held to account. The people who worked with him on the set of the movie where this incident happened and where he was the producer have confirmed that the working conditions were unsafe, people prior to the tragic incident had resigned on account on unsafe working conditions and Alec Baldwin did nothing to improve the conditions.
 
Good decision. Baldwin pulled the trigger regardless of whether he meant to or not.

Also, the guy is a complete heartless *****. He did an interview where he said he didn't feel guilty for killing that poor woman. What a disgusting person. I hope he rots in jail.
 
Strange decision.

He is a actor, working on a film set. He had no idea it was a live bullet. Are actors supposed to be firearm experts and check all props before they use the?

Im sure the case will be dissmisssed on appeal.
 
KingKhanWC said:
Strange decision.

He is a actor, working on a film set. He had no idea it was a live bullet. Are actors supposed to be firearm experts and check all props before they use the?

Im sure the case will be dissmisssed on appeal.
Click to expand...

He was the producer of the movie as well. There were many complaints about safety and negligence on the movie set but Alec Baldwin and others took no steps to address them. Also he has clearly lied, in an interview he claimed he did not pull the trigger and he felt no guilt but an FBI analysis of the gun revealed that the gun could not have gone off without someone pulling the trigger. He had also apparently refused fire-arms training. One of the individuals who has pled guilty on the movie set for neglience is going to testify against Baldwin for his conduct

He did not exercise prudence, due care and was trigger happy. A good prosecution lawyer is going to ask him pertinent questions i.e. why did you fire the gun if the movie script and scene did not require it? why did you live in the interview that you didn't pull the trigger if the FBI anlysis did show that the gun could not have gone off without someone pulling the trigger? Would have have blindly relied on the gun experts and not have checked the gun if he was filming a suicide scene?

I have read about Alec Baldwin being a tough, arrogant, difficult individual to work with. He is going to now pay the price for his arrogance and negligence now in a big way.
 
Savak said:
He was the producer of the movie as well. There were many complaints about safety and negligence on the movie set but Alec Baldwin and others took no steps to address them. Also he has clearly lied, in an interview he claimed he did not pull the trigger and he felt no guilt but an FBI analysis of the gun revealed that the gun could not have gone off without someone pulling the trigger. He had also apparently refused fire-arms training. One of the individuals who has pled guilty on the movie set for neglience is going to testify against Baldwin for his conduct

He did not exercise prudence, due care and was trigger happy. A good prosecution lawyer is going to ask him pertinent questions i.e. why did you fire the gun if the movie script and scene did not require it? why did you live in the interview that you didn't pull the trigger if the FBI anlysis did show that the gun could not have gone off without someone pulling the trigger? Would have have blindly relied on the gun experts and not have checked the gun if he was filming a suicide scene?

I have read about Alec Baldwin being a tough, arrogant, difficult individual to work with. He is going to now pay the price for his arrogance and negligence now in a big way.
Click to expand...

Interesting. [MENTION=1749]Waq[/MENTION] your views on this would be appreciated.

Thanks, I will have to read more of this it seems.
 
Savak said:
He was the producer of the movie as well. There were many complaints about safety and negligence on the movie set but Alec Baldwin and others took no steps to address them. Also he has clearly lied, in an interview he claimed he did not pull the trigger and he felt no guilt but an FBI analysis of the gun revealed that the gun could not have gone off without someone pulling the trigger. He had also apparently refused fire-arms training. One of the individuals who has pled guilty on the movie set for neglience is going to testify against Baldwin for his conduct
Click to expand...

The weapon could have had a very light trigger pull. If he was used to a seven-pound pull and that particular weapon had a three-pound pull it could have fired without his intending it to.

But I agree about general safety standards. If he was a producer he was a boss and had at least partial responsibility for safety on set.
 
Robert said:
The weapon could have had a very light trigger pull. If he was used to a seven-pound pull and that particular weapon had a three-pound pull it could have fired without his intending it to.

But I agree about general safety standards. If he was a producer he was a boss and had at least partial responsibility for safety on set.
Click to expand...

His responsibility here is enormous, you don't need to be a firearm expert to know that you never point a firearm at another person regardless of it being loaded, prop, old, empty or any other state.

I don't see any intent here but he certainly is responsible for the firearm being pointed at a person and then firing the firearm.
 
Gilly said:
His responsibility here is enormous, you don't need to be a firearm expert to know that you never point a firearm at another person regardless of it being loaded, prop, old, empty or any other state.
Click to expand...

Err, it happens in every cowboy, crime and war film ever.
 
Robert said:
Err, it happens in every cowboy, crime and war film ever.
Click to expand...

This was not a cowboy, crime and war film. She was not an actor and she was not part of the script where a gun was pointed at her. If you don't get then I can't say any more.
 
This tragic incident will hopefully not be repeated.

Never understood why there was a need for live ammunition. This is a movie; not real life.
 
Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter in Rust shooting

Mr Baldwin was "distracted" talking to family members on his mobile phone during training on how to operate the prop gun, Robert Shilling, a special investigator for the district attorney's office, wrote in a statement of probable cause filed with the manslaughter charges.

If Mr Baldwin had performed mandatory safety checks with armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and not pointed the gun at Hutchins, the "tragedy would not have occurred", Mr Shilling argued.

"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 on shooting," Mr Shilling added.

The charging document outlines at least a dozen "acts or omissions of recklessness" leading up to the 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

Lawyers for Mr Baldwin and Ms Gutierrez-Reed have said they intend to fight the charges in court.

...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64475627
 
Alec Baldwin never told 'Rust' cinematographer's family he was sorry for killing her on-set, their lawyer alleged

Natalie Musumeci and Ashley Collman

Feb 9, 2023, 3:36 PM

- The family of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin.

- Baldwin has been criminally charged in connection to the 2021 on-set shooting of Hutchins.

- Baldwin's attorney has said the charges against him represent "a terrible miscarriage of justice."

Alec Baldwin never reached out to apologize to the family of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins — who was accidentally shot dead by Baldwin on the New Mexico set of the movie — the family's attorney alleged on Thursday.

"There has been no outreach from Mr. Baldwin to even say he was sorry" for Hutchins' death, attorney Gloria Allred told reporters as she announced that Hutchins' parents and sister have filed a new lawsuit in California against the Oscar-nominated actor.

Mother Olga Solovey, father Anatolii Androsovych, and sister Svetlana Zemko, who are based in Ukraine, are suing Baldwin, the production company behind "Rust," and other defendants, alleging battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and loss of consortium.

The final complaint relates to the loss of love and support from a family member. Some states only allow spouses or partners to claim loss of consortium, but New Mexico — where Hutchins was killed — isn't as strict. Allred said that when Hutchins was alive, she would often send money back to her family in Ukraine, and had she survived, would have insisted they immigrate to the US permanently to escape the war in her home country.

"In addition to this tragedy they have to try to cope with that loss while living in Ukraine in the midst of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's war," Allred said.

Allred said that Hutchins' mother is serving as an emergency room nurse, tending to those who have been hurt in battle, and that the husband of Hutchins' sister has been fighting in the war.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks an undisclosed amount in damages for Hutchins' family.

Hutchins, said Allred, was the "light of in their lives."

During the press conference, Allred played a video message from Hutchins' mother and sister.

"To lose my sister, at least personally for me, was a horrible experience and it is one of the biggest losses of my life," Hutchins' sister said. "And even more devastating is to see the utter suffering of our parents and how their health has sharply declined."

"It is for this reason that I would like those who are at fault, for somebody to carry that responsibility," she added. "And not just someone but that very someone who is truly responsible for this. I believe to let this go and leave this unpunished is unallowable."

Allred said Hutchins' mother wanted to speak in the video but was "so overwhelmed with grief" that she broke down in tears every time she tried to talk.

The filing of the suit comes after Baldwin and the armorer for "Rust" were criminally charged with involuntary manslaughter last month in connection to the October 2021 shooting of 42-year-old Hutchins, a mother of one.

Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on the Santa Fe, New Mexico, set of the Western movie, which he is starring in and producing, when a Colt .45 revolver he was holding fired, fatally striking Hutchins and injuring the film's director, Joel Souza.

Prosecutors alleged that Baldwin "acted with reckless disregard and/or more than mere negligence in this incident."

Baldwin attorney Luke Nikas previously told Insider that the decision by New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies to bring charges against his client "distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice."

Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other crew members in February 2022, alleging that the "Rust" producers cut corners on safety procedures and that Baldwin "recklessly shot and killed" Hutchins.

In October 2022, it was announced that the production company behind "Rust" and the husband reached an undisclosed settlement in the wrongful death suit. Matthew Hutchins announced at the time that he will serve as an executive producer for the movie.

Baldwin's settlement with Matthew Hutchins is "totally separate" from the lawsuit filed by Hutchins' parents and sister, Allred said.

An attorney for Rust Movie Productions told Insider last month the film is still on track to be completed and that Matthew Hutchins will still be an executive producer on the project.

Link: https://www.insider.com/halyna-hutc...led-against-alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-2023-2

Comments: This heartless, arrogant SOB must absolutely do serious time. He must not be allowed to get away with it.
 
Alec Baldwin is attempting to have one of the charges of involuntary manslaughter, which could see him jailed for five years, thrown out by a US court.

Lawyers for the actor argued that New Mexico prosecutors had committed an "unconstitutional and elementary legal error" by charging him under a statute that did not exist at the time of the fatal shooting.

SKY
 
Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' manslaughter charges downgraded, cutting possible prison time

Prosecutors have downgraded the involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin, reducing the possible prison time the Hollywood star may face for the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of the movie 'Rust,' charging documents showed.

New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had charged Baldwin and the movie's set armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, with two counts of involuntary manslaughter last month for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, with the most serious charge carrying a potential prison sentence of five years.

Carmack-Altwies filed altered charges for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed on Friday, removing the firearm enhancement and reducing their possible prison sentence from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 18 months.

"In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the district attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the 'Rust' film set," Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney, said in a statement.

A lawyer for Baldwin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We applaud the decision of the district attorney to dismiss the firearm enhancement and it was the right call, ethically, and on the merits," said Jason Bowles, an attorney for Gutierrez-Reed.

Lawyers for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed had argued earlier this month that prosecutors were unjustly charging their clients under a version of the firearm enhancement law that had not been passed until May 2022, months after the incident.

When the incident occurred, New Mexico law stated that the firearm enhancement should be applied when a firearm was "brandished" in the commission of a noncapital felony, meaning the suspect had an intention to harm.

In 2022, the criteria for applying the firearm enhancement -with the 5-year minimum prison sentence - was expanded to include when a weapon was simply "discharged" in the commission of a noncapital felony.

Baldwin's case is remarkable in that there is little or no precedent for a Hollywood actor to face criminal charges for an on-set shooting.

...
https://www.brecorder.com/news/4022...arges-downgraded-cutting-possible-prison-time
 
He will probably get a suspended sentence or do minimal time in a low security jail.

Career may be over though.
 
Filming on Alec Baldwin's Western movie Rust is resuming on Thursday, 18 months after the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, is remaining in the the starring role.

Principal photography is starting up again at a new location in Montana.

"It will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition," said Melina Spadone, lawyer for Rust Movie Productions.

"Live ammunition is - and always was - prohibited on set."

Bianca Cline will take Hutchins' place as cinematographer, with Joel Souza, who was injured in the shooting in New Mexico, returning as director.

Hutchins' husband Matthew will be an executive producer. Baldwin is a producer as well as the film's star.

Rust Movie productions, which Baldwin is part of, said in February the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was shot has now been rewritten.

The company added that Cline, whose credits include Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and American Horror Story, will "complete Halyna's vision for the film" and donate her salary to charity.

Souza said in February: "Though bittersweet, I am grateful that a brilliant and dedicated new production team joining former cast and crew are committed to completing what Halyna and I started.

"My every effort on this film will be devoted to honouring Halyna's legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf."

Charges denied

In October 2021, Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on the set at a ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, when the "prop" gun he was holding fired, resulting in the death of the 42-year-old Ukrainian-born cinematographer.

Charges of involuntary manslaughter were brought against him and the film's armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed by the Santa Fe District Attorney's office last month.

Lawyers for both denied any wrongdoing and said they intended to fight the charges in court.

Baldwin's lawyer, Luke Nikas, called the decision to charge the actor "a terrible miscarriage of justice".

"Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set," Mr Nikas said. "He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds."

A two-week preliminary hearing is due to begin in Santa Fe in early May to decide whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

The Hollywood star has reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Mr Hutchins.

In February, Hutchins' family filed a new civil lawsuit against Baldwin and the production company seeking damages for alleged battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and loss of consortium.

Hutchins' widower Matthew also approved a documentary about her in February.

BBC
 
Alec Baldwin: All criminal charges against actor over fatal shooting on Rust set are dropped

All criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Rust movie have been dropped.

Prosecutors in Santa Fe, in the US state of New Mexico, had been pressing forward with two involuntary manslaughter charges against the 65-year-old Hollywood star.
Click to expand...

https://news.sky.com/story/alec-bal...tal-shooting-on-rust-set-are-dropped-12862134
 
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