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Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer on the 'Rust' film, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of the movie's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Hutchings was shot in the chest on October 21, 2021 as she rehearsed a scene with Baldwin and the film's director, who was also wounded. Her death sparked calls for film producers to improve safety conditions on film sets.
New Mexico prosecutors announced the felony criminal charges this morning. According to Variety, Baldwin and Reed will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, which each carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail. They also face an enhancement for use of a firearm which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.
The assistant director for the film, David Halls, who gave the loaded revolver to Baldwin just before the incident, accepted a misdemeanor charge in a plea deal.
This announcement comes three months after Baldwin and the film’s other producers settled with Hutchins’ family to end the wrongful death civil lawsuit they filed early last year. The family initially blamed Hutchins’ death on cost-cutting measures and reckless behavior by Baldwin and others.
KFI's evening host, Mo Kelly, joined us to talk about it. Listen to Mo nightly 7-10pm! Follow him on socials @mrmokelly