New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced Thursday that her office will be charging Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter. Charges are expected to be filed sometime in January for Alec's role in the October 21, 2021, death of Halyna Hutchins.
Halyna was killed on the set of Alec's movie 'Rust.'
According to NBC News, Alec and others from the film crew will be charged after a gun Alec was holding went off, killing the cinematographer and wounding a nearby producer.
"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," the DA said in a statement.
New Mexico also charged other members of the film crew.
The state is also going after Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armorer, and charging her with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
It sounds like first assistant director David Halls will also be charged, and he has already agreed to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon.
"If any one of these three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls — had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It's that simple," the special prosecutor said in a statement.
The DA believes the charges are warranted, claiming there was a high level of negligence on set.
"The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set," her statement continued. "In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don't take our state's commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously."
We can't help but wonder how Halyna's husband and her 9-year-old son feel about this decision.
Alec could serve several years in federal lockup.
When found guilty, those facing involuntary manslaughter charges can face up to 18 months in prison and be on the hook for a $5,000 fine. Given that Alec's charges come along with the added complication of including a firearm, prosecutors say he could be looking at a mandatory five years behind bars.
Alec and Hilaria recently welcomed a seventh child.
It's hard to know whether this is the right call or not from an outside perspective, but we have to imagine that this will be hard for everyone involved in the shooting, especially the children of everyone impacted.
Hopefully this news brings Halyna's family some closure. This has to have been an impossible year for them all.
