Topline
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department has completed its investigation into the shooting on the set of the film Rust, over one year after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed by a gun held by Alec Baldwin, a spokesperson said Thursday, passing the case to the district attorney, who will decide whether or not to press charges.
Alec Baldwin speaks for the first time regarding the accidental shooting that killed cinematographer … [+]
Key Facts
New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies received the sheriff department’s report into the shooting on Thursday, DA’s office spokesperson Heather Brewer said in a statement.
Carmack-Altwies and her team will complete a review of the information “to make a thoughtful, timely decision about whether to bring charges,” Brewer said.
Last month, the New Mexico Board of Finance granted the DA’s office over $300,000 to be used to possibly prosecute up to four people in relation to the shooting, and Baldwin was named as a possible defendant in the request for the funds.
It’s not publicly known what investigators determined during the probe, which included a review of Baldwin’s cell phone records, FBI forensic analysis and interviews with cast and crew members.
Prosecutors have not charged anyone in connection with the shooting.
Key Background
October 21 marked the one-year anniversary of the shooting, when Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured by a gun that was fired during a rehearsal. Live ammunition was not supposed to be present on the set, and it’s not known publicly how the lethal bullet got onto the project or into the weapon. Baldwin has said he believed the gun was safe to use and did not pull the trigger of the weapon when it went off in his hand. Hutchins’ widow Matthew earlier this month settled a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin, the movie’s production company and other key crew members who allegedly handled the weapon, for an undisclosed amount. The Western film is expected to resume filing sometime next year, with Matthew Hutchins serving as an executive producer on it.
Tangent
When the shooting first occurred, Carmack-Altwies said everything, including criminal charges, was on the table. Baldwin previously claimed he was told by someone within the state that he would probably not be charged in connection to the shooting. Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who oversaw the investigation, has said that no one involved “is off the hook.”
Further Reading
The ‘Rust’ Shooting, One Year Later: Everything You Need To Know (Forbes)
Alec Baldwin Settles Lawsuit With Family Of Killed Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (Forbes) ‘Rust’ Shooting Investigation Close To Wrapping Up, Still Awaiting Two Key Reports (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/27/sheriff-completes-rust-shooting-investigation-and-turns-over-case-to-da/