Alec BaldwinandRustarmorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have officially been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of cinematographerHalyna Hutchins.
On Tuesday, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies formally filed charges against Baldwin, 64, and Gutierrez-Reed, 25, including two counts of involuntary manslaughter. A judge will next decide whether to move the case forward after a preliminary hearing.
According toThe New York Times, Robert Shilling, a special investigator for the district attorney, wrote in a probable cause statement, “This reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol directly caused the fatal shooting.”
The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Heather Brewer said in a press release Monday, “The District Attorney and the special prosecutor are fully focused on securing justice for Halyna Hutchins. The evidence and the facts speak for themselves.”
Attorneys for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment on Tuesday.
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The district attorney and special prosecutor Andrea Reebpreviously announcedon Jan. 19 that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed would both face the criminal charges after its investigation.
Alec Baldwin.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
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“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,” Carmack-Altwies said at the time. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Reeb added, “If any one of these three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls — had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple. The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on theRustfilm set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”
PEOPLE previously confirmed thatRustplans to continue productionafter the announcement of the criminal charges. Both producer/star Baldwin and directorJoel Souza— who was also injured in the October 2021 incident but no charges are made in that instance — are still on board to continue with the film, a source previously toldThe New York Times, noting that updated safety measures will be in place, with a ban on live ammunition and working weapons.
In a statement to PEOPLE on Jan. 19, Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel said the announcement of charges against the actor “distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death andrepresents 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,” Nikas added. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”
Baldwin’s wife Hilariashared a photo of their seven kidson Instagram Tuesday morning, writing in the caption, “Alec, we love you and we are here for you.”
She added to her followers, “I hope you understand how much your support and kindness to Alec and our children mean. Thank you for being our community and our village. You are helping us to be stronger parents and partners during this unimaginable time, stemming from such heartbreaking tragedy. Please know that I hear all of your outspoken words and each and every one of you reminds me daily that there is kindness in the world and we are not alone.”
Halyna Hutchins.Mat Hayward/Getty
Rustassistant director David Halls signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, according to a Jan 19. press release. He denied handing the gun to Baldwin.
Halls' attorney said in a statement earlier in January, “Mr. Halls accepted a petty misdemeanor charge. Absent no charges at all, this is the best outcome for Mr. Halls and the case. He can now put this matter behind him and allow the focus of this tragedy to be on the shooting victims and changing the industry so this type of accident will never happen again. His charge is a petty misdemeanor. No jail time. Unsupervised probation. $500 fine. Mr. Halls denies handing a firearm to Mr. Baldwin.”
source: people.com
