Alec Baldwin and 'Rust' Armorer to Be Formally Charged This Week
Alec Baldwin and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be officially charged with involuntary manslaughter Tuesday after the October 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The formal filing of the charges comes nearly two weeks after the Santa Fe District Attorney announced the charges facing Baldwin, Rust's star and producer, and Gutierrez-Reed.
"The District Attorney and the special prosecutor are fully focused on securing justice for Halyna Hutchins," a spokesperson for First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told Deadline Monday. "The evidence and the facts speak for themselves." There will be no press conference or interviews at the time of the filing in the New Mexico court system Tuesday.
Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel, spoke out after the charges against his client were announced. "This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice," Nikas said in a statement at the time. "Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds." Nikas added that his legal team "will fight these charges, and we will win."
Jason Bowles and Todd J. Bullion, attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed, added in a statement at the time, "Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter. These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts. ...We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury."
Hutchins' family attorney, Brian J. Panish, thanked the District Attorney's Office for its "thorough investigation" and for determining that the charges for involuntary manslaughter are warranted "for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life" in a statement to Law & Crime Network. "Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law," Panish continued. "We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law."