Why Alec Baldwin Is Charged?
- Alec Baldwin was indicted for involuntary manslaughter in a 2021 shooting incident on a New Mexico movie set.
- The incident occurred during a rehearsal for the Western movie "Rust," where Baldwin was the lead actor and co-producer.
- Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot, and director Joel Souza was wounded.
- The case was revived after special prosecutors presented it to a grand jury in Santa Fe, following a new analysis of the gun involved.
- Alec Baldwin allegedly pointed the gun at Hutchins during the rehearsal, resulting in the discharge that led to her death.
Source: YouTube/ Fox News
Incident
Alec Baldwin claimed he pulled the hammer, not the trigger, leading to the gun firing.
Judges temporarily halted multiple civil lawsuits, seeking damages from Baldwin and "Rust" producers, as charges were presented to a grand jury.
Crew members, part of the plaintiffs in these suits, await legal proceedings.
In April, prosecutors dropped an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, citing potential gun modification and malfunction. However, a new analysis, using replacement parts, was conducted after FBI testing damaged the pistol.
Forensic experts, led by Lucien Haag, concluded that despite Baldwin's denial, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed for the gun to discharge, based on tests and findings.
The movie set's weapons supervisor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has entered a not-guilty plea for involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Her trial is set for February.
"Rust" assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls pled no contest to unsafe firearm handling last March, receiving six months of probation. He committed to aiding the shooting investigation.
A prior FBI report noted that consistent with this type of firearm, the gun could discharge without trigger action if force was applied to an uncocked hammer, like when the weapon is dropped.
During testing, the gun only fired when struck with a mallet or with the trigger pulled while fully cocked; it eventually broke. The 2021 shooting led to numerous lawsuits, including wrongful death claims. Allegations of safety negligence have been disputed by Alec Baldwin and other defendants.
Rust Movie Productions paid a $100,000 fine to workplace safety regulators for violating industry protocols, with reports of inaction on set misfires before the fatal incident. "Rust" resumed filming in Montana last year, with the cinematographer's widower, Matthew Hutchins, becoming an executive producer under an agreement.
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