19 January 2023 , 16:06
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Alec Baldwin will be charged over the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Cinematographer and mother of one Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust in October 2021 when Baldwin discharged a prop gun, which also injured the film's director Joel Souza.
Halyna, 42, was airlifted to hospital from the New Mexico set, but died of her injuries.
Both Baldwin and the film’s armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the death of Ms Hutchins on the film’s Santa Fe County set - a charge that carries a maximum of 18 months in prison.
The charge "represents a terrible miscarriage of justice", Alec's lawyer has said.
Alec Baldwin accused of 'wilful disregard for others' safety' before Rust death
Assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, the DA’s office said. No charges will be filed specific to the non-fatal shooting of Rust director Joel Souza.
The decision on whether to charge Alec has been announced (Getty)"After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew," attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said.
"On my watch, no-one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice."
The decision comes less than three months after the DA's office received the final report from the Sheriff’s Office into the tragic incident.
Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna when it went off on October 21, killing her and wounding the director, Joel.
Halyna was taken to a hospital in New Mexico where she later died from her injuries. The crew had been inside a small church during setup for filming a scene.
Halyna died after being shot (alecbaldwininsta/instagram)
Alec had been holding the gun (Getty Images)Alec, previously appearing on the Chris Cuomo Project, said: "I know that every single person on the set of the film knows what happened.
"The people who are talking loudest about what happened or speculating about what happened were not on the set of the film."
When discussing the investigation, the Hollywood star continued: "The fact that this has taken so long has been quite troublesome to me."
The FBI report on the incident claimed the prop weapon "could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger".
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However, Alec has always denied that he did so. He said a bullet could be fired without the trigger being pulled through a process called "fanning".
The actor was filming Rust when the shooting happened (PA)Filming of Rust is due to resume later this month, with Halyna's husband sitting as an executive producer on the film.
Director, Joel Souza stated that it was "bittersweet" to be working on the film following Hutchins' death.
He said: "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."
Despite feeling bittersweet about the decision to go ahead, he expressed how he wished he and Halyna had worked together under different circumstances but believes that the decision to go ahead will assist the healing process.