Alec Baldwin Faces More Bad News in 'Rust' Shooting Aftermath as DA Promises 'Justice'
Alec Baldwin is still reeling from potential consequences he may face as a result of the accidental shooting death of Rust DP Halyna Hutchins. The incident occurred during the filming of the New Mexico western when a prop gun Baldwin was reportedly using fired live rounds and hit Hutchins. She died of her injuries. The film's director, Joel Souza, was also injured in the shooting. In the wake of the tragedy, multiple former staffers came forward and complained that the set was unsafe, and they'd complained verbally and in written detail before exiting. Baldwin has maintained his innocence and expressed remorse for poor judgment in using a real prop gun instead of a fake one but insists all safety protocol measures were taken. Still, Hutchins' husband filed a lawsuit. And now, the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department has concluded its investigation and sent its report over to New Mexico District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, who is reviewing details for potential further charges, Deadline reports.
"Today, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies received the Santa Fe County Sheriff's investigative report on the Rust movie set incident," read a statement from a DA's Office spokesperson. "The District Attorney and her team of investigators and prosecutors will now begin a thorough review of the information and evidence to make a thoughtful, timely decision about whether to bring charges. As with all cases that the District Attorney handles, her focus will be on upholding the integrity of the process, enforcing the laws of the state of New Mexico, and pursuing justice."
Additional details were not made available. But it comes after an Aug. 2022 letter from Carmack-Altwies to the New Mexico State Finance Board indicated that the DA intends to make Baldwin "one of the possible defendants." The DA was seeking $635K from the state to prosecute upwards of four people; however, she only received $317,750.
Baldwin's attorney has come forward to blast the media making the information public. The actor and the producers of Rust settled with the Hutchins estate. As a result, Hutchins' husband Matthew was made an EP on the production, which is set to continue shooting in California.
Despite that settlement, the DA's office responded that it "will have no impact on District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis' ongoing investigation or her ultimate decision whether to file criminal charges in the case."