Prosecutors in charge of the investigation into the murder of an official in the 2021 movie “Rust” with an accidental shot from a gun used by Alec Baldwin, have dropped the “aggravating circumstances” charge related to the use of the weapon, which was leveled against the American actor.
The incident took place on October 21, 2021, at the “Rust” filming location inside a farm in Santa, New Mexico, when Baldwin pulled the trigger of a weapon that was supposed to contain claw bullets, but a live projectile hit the 42-year-old director of photography, Helena Hutchins, killing her. Director Joel Souza was injured.
And the criminal court in New Mexico finally charged Baldwin with manslaughter in the case, and her sentence may reach 18 months in prison, as well as the case of the weapons official in the movie, Hana Gutierrez Reid.
The 64-year-old actor was facing a prison sentence of up to five years if he was convicted of so-called “aggravating circumstances” related to his use of weapons.
However, his defense attorneys considered that the charge of “aggravating circumstances” was not covered by New Mexico law at the time the incident was recorded and should therefore be dropped.
Prosecutors finally dropped this charge “to avoid losing time,” they said.
Baldwin also faces a civil lawsuit filed against him by the victim’s Ukrainian parents and sister, the family’s lawyer announced Thursday.
And the actor, who gained great fame after his participation in the “30 Rock” series, insisted that he did not know that the gun was loaded with real ammunition, as he was told that it was safe. Baldwin has consistently maintained that he did not pull the trigger, which many experts question.
This incident caused a great shock in Hollywood, and had a very strong impact inside and outside the United States, and led to an escalation of calls for banning the presence of any firearms on filming sites.
