Alec Baldwin “will fight” the upcoming involuntary manslaughter charges in the “Rust” case

• Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will both be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
• Rust assistant director David Halls entered into a plea deal for the allegation.
• Baldwin insists that he did not fire the gun.

The fresh accusations that will be brought against Alec Baldwin are being described as a “grave miscarriage of justice” by his attorney.

Baldwin, 64, and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will both be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the October 2021 on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, it was announced on Thursday by Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb. Before the month is over, the charges will be formally filed.

Baldwin’s lawyer Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel issued the following statement to the media: “This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and is a horrific 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,” the attorney concluded.

According to a press announcement on Thursday, Rust assistant director David Halls entered into a plea deal for the allegation of careless use of a deadly weapon.

“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 in a statement. “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 the Rust film 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.”

Attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed Jason Bowles and Todd J. Bullion released the following statement: “Hannah has always been deeply saddened by this horrible accident and is still quite emotional about it. She did not, however, kill someone accidentally. These accusations are the outcome of a seriously poor investigation and an incorrect assessment of all available information. We’re going to expose the whole story, and we think a jury will find Hannah innocent.”

On October 21, 2021, Hutchins, 42, was shot and murdered when a prop gun held by Baldwin accidentally discharged live bullets. Baldwin insists that he did not fire the gun, despite the fact that the incident also injured director Joel Souza, 49, and left him injured. (No accusations were brought against Souza.)

An action for wrongful death brought by Hutchins’ widower Matthew was settled by Baldwin and other Rust manufacturers in October. The group also agreed to finish the film with Matthew serving as executive producer as part of the deal. Rust was rumored to start up again in January 2023.

At the time, Matthew, who has a son named Andros with Hutchins, said in a statement, “No, I’m not interested in making excuses or assigning responsibility (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin). We all agree that Halyna’s passing was a sad accident. I appreciate that the creators and the entertainment industry have banded together to honor Halyna’s final project.”

Baldwin’s wife Hilaria Baldwin revealed to Extra in December that the October 2021 incident has a significant impact on their family.

She added, “I worry about him. “Can you imagine, I mean? Neither can. It was quite difficult to make sense of what had transpired.”

“When you go through something hard, you know not every day is going to be the same,” continued Hilaria, 39. “You have moments in the day that are very hard. Nights are hard. Nightmares are hard. So I’m just there, and I say, ‘I’m here and I’m going to take care of you,’ and I said that from the moment we realized what had happened.”

She added, “We’re not okay. We can’t be okay. No one is okay. It was, and is, a tragedy that nobody could ever have imagined. I mean, the loss of her, Halyna. Her son, a little son, her family, her co-workers, the people who loved her, and her fans. I mean, she was an incredible, incredible woman in so many different ways.”

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