By Cynthia Akande
Hollywood Actor and Producer Alec Baldwin is being charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deadly 2021 shooting on the set of the Western film “Rust,” prosecutors in New Mexico announced Thursday.
Baldwin and the film’s armorer who was in charge of weapons on the set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, will each face two counts of involuntary manslaughter, according to New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies
Baldwin was holding a gun during a rehearsal when it discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
“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,” District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement released Thursday morning. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
Involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony and is normally punishable by up to 18 months behind bars and a $5,000 fine, prosecutors said. But a firearm enhancement on the charges could make the crime punishable by a mandatory sentence of five years in jail, prosecutors said.
