Alec Baldwin’s ‘rusty’ shooting: New Mexico DA on Thursday reveals possible indictment in deadly shooting of Halina Hutchins

Santa Fe, New Mexico — The Santa Fe District Attorney will announce Thursday whether he will indict actor Alec Baldwin for shooting the cinematographer dead during rehearsals for the 2021 western “Rust.”

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack Ortwith said the ruling was announced Thursday morning in a statement and on social media and will not be seen in public by prosecutors.

District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Heather Brewer said: “This announcement is a solemn occasion and one that is being conducted in a manner consistent with the Department’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the judicial process and respecting the families of victims. will be

Cinematographer Halina Hutchins died shortly after being shot while setting up a scene on a ranch outside Santa Fe on October 21, 2021. Directed by Joel Souza.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who led the initial investigation into Hutchins’ death, described “a degree of neglect” on the film’s set. But he left the decision on potential criminal liability to prosecutors after he submitted the results of a year-long investigation in October. was not specified.

Carmack Altwith, who spearheaded the investigation, was granted an emergency request of $300,000 for the state to cover the costs of the special counsel, special agents, and other professionals and personnel.

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

He attempted to clear his name by suing those involved in handling and supplying the loaded guns that were handed to him on set. He said he had been told it was safe.

In the lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins during a scene rehearsal, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back to release the gun’s hammer.

After completing an autopsy and reviewing law enforcement reports, the New Mexico Department of Medical Investigation determined that the shooting was an accident.

The New Mexico Department of Occupational Safety and Health imposed a maximum fine against Rust Movie Productions. This was due to safety concerns, including testimony that the production manager took limited or no action to address two of his blank shot misfires on set prior to the fatal shooting. Based on a poignant account of failure. .

Rust Movie Productions continues to challenge the regulator’s basis for a $137,000 fine. Regulators say the set’s production manager did not follow standard industry protocols for firearm safety.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reid, who oversaw the firearms on set, has been subject to much scrutiny in the case, along with independent ammunition suppliers. and believes she was the victim of sabotage.

Investigators initially found 500 rounds of ammunition on a movie set outside Santa Fe. It contained a mixture of blanks, dummy rounds, and what appeared to be live ammunition. Industry experts say live rounds shouldn’t be done on set.

In April 2022, the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department released a trove of files containing lapel camera video of Hutchins fainting and disappearing after being fatally injured when an evacuation helicopter arrived. Interviews of witnesses, email threads, text conversations, ammunition inventories and hundreds of photographs completed the evidence collection.

State workplace safety regulators said gun safety concerns were quickly dismissed when filming of “Rust” was halted, and new safety inspections would be required before filming could return to New Mexico. rice field.

The Hutchins family – widower Matthew Hutchins and son Andros – settled the lawsuit against the producers under an agreement aimed at resuming filming with Matthew involved as executive producer.

“Rust” has been plagued with controversy since its early October 2021 launch. Amid discord over working conditions, seven crew members left the set hours before the fatal shooting.

Hutchins’ death has affected negotiations with Hollywood producers about the safety clause of their film crew union contracts, and the use of computer-generated gunfire rather than actual weapons with empty ammunition to minimize risk. It spurred other filmmakers to choose images for