David Ring, a Los Angeles trial attorney, gives his opinion to PEOPLE.
“Based on what we know now, it doesn’t seem like Alec Baldwin is the focus of any criminal case because he was handed a gun and he was told it was a cold gun, meaning that someone has looked at it and [found] there’s no ammunition in it,” Ring says of the Thursday incident where Baldwin, 63, shot a prop gun while rehearsing a scene, killing Hutchins. “And I think he has the right to rely upon that, to assume that it also is cold.”
For more on the shooting on theRustset, listen below toour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
For more about Alec Baldwin and the tragic shooting on Rust, pick up the latest issue ofPEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
Ring adds he doesn’t think Baldwin will “have criminal culpability” in the actual shooting of Hutchins but that the actor could face criminal charges for his role as one of the producers of the film. A day after the shooting, a production source told PEOPLE that crew members working on the movie"didn’t feel safe" on setin New Mexico.
“There’s certainly a chance that the authorities say this was such a dangerous operation that whoever’s in charge, including the producer, are somehow criminally liable,” Ring says, although he adds, “That’s a much more difficult case to prove. We’re talking about intent.”
Albuquerque criminal-defense attorney Erlinda Johnson tells PEOPLE involuntary manslaughter charges could potentially be brought — including against Baldwin. “Whoever handles the firearm has a duty to check it for any live rounds,” says Johnson. Beyond criminal liability, she adds, “there’s a lot of civil liability here. It’s going to be a nightmare for [people involved with the movie].”
“He’s absolutely going to get named in any wrongful death lawsuit. You just have to show that there was negligence that led to the shooting, and it’s a much lower standard than a criminal case,” he says. “Obviously there’s negligence [in this case] and it just depends on who was negligent. But ultimately the production company is in charge. It happened on their watch.”
Rings adds, “Anyone who should have been in charge is going to get named in a wrongful death lawsuit.”
Alec Baldwin.Mark Sagliocco/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Baldwin firstspoke outregarding the incident on Friday morning, writing 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.”
“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,” he continued. “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
TheRustfilm set has been shut down and production indefinitely paused following Hutchins' death, according to the production company, Rust Movie Productions, LLC.
source: people.com
