Alec Baldwin kills one with a prop gun, injures another

[BackInTex]

Alec Baldwin and weapons handler to be charged with manslaughter in deadly ‘Rust’ shooting

New Mexico prosecutors said they are filing felony criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin and the armorer of the low-budget western “Rust,” following the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer.

The charges represent a dramatic culmination of more than a year of speculation over who, if anyone, would be held accountable for the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, a rising star in the film industry. Hutchins was shot in the chest Oct. 21, 2021, as she rehearsed a scene with Baldwin and the film’s director, Joel Souza, who was also wounded.

Baldwin will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.

Was Hutchins pregnant? How else would they be charging Baldwin with two counts?

“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice," according to a statement by Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas.

"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. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”

Wouldn't win if I was on the jury.

Involuntary manslaughter usually refers to an unintentional killing that results from criminal negligence or recklessness

Pointing a real gun at someone and pulling the trigger without personally verifying the gun is unloaded (or the rounds are benign) is negligence and reckless in my mind, and every other gun owner.

[Bob78164]

Alec Baldwin and weapons handler to be charged with manslaughter in deadly ‘Rust’ shooting



Was Hutchins pregnant? How else would they be charging Baldwin with two counts?

“This decision distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice," according to a statement by Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas.

"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. We will fight these charges, and we will win.”

Wouldn't win if I was on the jury.

Involuntary manslaughter usually refers to an unintentional killing that results from criminal negligence or recklessness

Pointing a real gun at someone and pulling the trigger without personally verifying the gun is unloaded (or the rounds are benign) is negligence and reckless in my mind, and every other gun owner.

(Emphasis added.) I wonder how long it will be before Estonut shows up to chide you for overgeneralizing. I won't hold my breath. --Bob

[Bob Juch]

Here's why there are two manslaughter charges:

If a jury found Mr. Baldwin or Ms. Gutierrez-Reed guilty, it would choose between the two manslaughter charges. The more serious one includes a firearm enhancement and a mandatory five-year sentence; the other charge carries a sentence of up to 18 months.

[Pastor Fireball]

Filming of Rust will continue in January

They better shoot quickly before the trial starts. (Too soon?)

[Vandal]

Criminal charges against Alec Baldwin in the fatal "Rust" movie shooting set have been dropped, ABC News reports.


https://twitter.com/WCVB/status/1649133 ... 84/photo/1

[Vandal]

Weapons expert was likely hungover on set of fatal 'Rust' shooting, prosecutors allege

The weapons expert on the set of the Western movie “Rust” was likely “hungover” when she put a live bullet into a gun that later killed a cinematographer, prosecutors contend in new court filings.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for "Rust," was charged with involuntary manslaughter after 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by a set gun handled by actor Alec Baldwin in October 2021.

Prosecutors said in a filing Friday that witnesses will testify that Gutierrez-Reed was "drinking heavily and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the shooting of 'Rust.'"

“It is likely that Defendant Gutierrez was hung over when she inserted a live bullet into a gun that she knew was going to be used at some point by an actor while filming a shooting scene with other actors and crew members," prosecutors alleged.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/we ... -rcna89230

[Beebs52]

Why would they have live bullets around anyway?

[Bob Juch]

Why would they have live bullets around anyway?

The guns used in the film were not prop guns. They were real working replicas of classics. Crew members had been using real bullets in them during off hours—bad idea.

[Vandal]

Grand jury indicts Alec Baldwin in fatal shooting of cinematographer on movie set in New Mexico

A grand jury indicted Alec Baldwin on Friday on an involuntary manslaughter charge in a 2021 fatal shooting during a rehearsal on a movie set in New Mexico, reviving a dormant case against the A-list actor.

Special prosecutors brought the case before a grand jury in Santa Fe this week, months after receiving a new analysis of the gun that was used.

Baldwin, the lead actor and a co-producer on the Western movie “Rust,” was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/national ... o/3252475/

[Vandal]

‘Rust’ movie armorer sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer of the film “Rust” who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month for the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, was sentenced by a New Mexico judge to 18 months in prison Monday, the maximum possible punishment.

“You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” the judge said. “But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/15/entertai ... index.html

[BackInTex]

‘Rust’ movie armorer sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer of the film “Rust” who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month for the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, was sentenced by a New Mexico judge to 18 months in prison Monday, the maximum possible punishment.

“You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” the judge said. “But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/15/entertai ... index.html

What f’ing idiot. There is no such thing as a safe weapon. I’d demand a mistrial based on the fact the judge was unqualified.

[Beebs52]

‘Rust’ movie armorer sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer of the film “Rust” who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month for the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, was sentenced by a New Mexico judge to 18 months in prison Monday, the maximum possible punishment.

“You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” the judge said. “But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/15/entertai ... index.html

What f’ing idiot. There is no such thing as a safe weapon. I’d demand a mistrial based on the fact the judge was unqualified.

I think he was referring to the random live rounds found. I watched the whole thing.

[Bob Juch]

‘Rust’ movie armorer sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer of the film “Rust” who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month for the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, was sentenced by a New Mexico judge to 18 months in prison Monday, the maximum possible punishment.

“You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” the judge said. “But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/15/entertai ... index.html

What f’ing idiot. There is no such thing as a safe weapon. I’d demand a mistrial based on the fact the judge was unqualified.

I think he was referring to the random live rounds found. I watched the whole thing.

Was there testimony that crew members had been using live rounds in the gun to shoot at targets?

[Beebs52]

What f’ing idiot. There is no such thing as a safe weapon. I’d demand a mistrial based on the fact the judge was unqualified.

I think he was referring to the random live rounds found. I watched the whole thing.

Was there testimony that crew members had been using live rounds in the gun to shoot at targets?

Can't remember exactly. But the rounds were hers sent by her father.

[Bob Juch]

I think he was referring to the random live rounds found. I watched the whole thing.

Was there testimony that crew members had been using live rounds in the gun to shoot at targets?

Can't remember exactly. But the rounds were hers sent by her father.

That's news to me.

[Beebs52]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go ... =107778471

[silverscreenselect]

The judge in Alec Baldwin's manslaughter case has dismissed the charges against him with prejudice, meaning he cannot be retried. The judge ruled that the prosecution failed to turn over required evidence to the defense before the trial and that the error could not be cured now. The evidence comprised bullets that were found at the shooting scene this spring by a retired police detective who turned them over to the Santa Fe, NM police department. These bullets were not included in the Baldwin case evidence that was turned over to the defense. The bullets were never tested to see if they matched the fatal shot. If so, that would weaken the prosecution's entire narrative of the case.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/art ... ting-trial

[Bob Juch]

Here's a free link to the NYT article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/12/arts ... =url-share

[Bob78164]

The judge in Alec Baldwin's manslaughter case has dismissed the charges against him with prejudice, meaning he cannot be retried. The judge ruled that the prosecution failed to turn over required evidence to the defense before the trial and that the error could not be cured now. The evidence comprised bullets that were found at the shooting scene this spring by a retired police detective who turned them over to the Santa Fe, NM police department. These bullets were not included in the Baldwin case evidence that was turned over to the defense. The bullets were never tested to see if they matched the fatal shot. If so, that would weaken the prosecution's entire narrative of the case.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/art ... ting-trial

For anyone who may be wondering, because the jury had already been empaneled, jeopardy had attached so the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Eighth Amendment means that the order dismissing the case cannot be appealed. It's over. --Bob

[kroxquo]

Could this apply to any appeal that the armorer of the film who was already convicted might make?

[silverscreenselect]

Could this apply to any appeal that the armorer of the film who was already convicted might make?

The situations aren't quite the same since the evidence was discovered after the armorer's conviction. Also, the man who discovered the evidence is a former sheriff's deputy who is a friend of the armorer's father, so it can be inferred the armorer's attorneys know about it. They may get a new trial, but it's doubtful there would be an outright dismissal.

[Bob Juch]

Could this apply to any appeal that the armorer of the film who was already convicted might make?

The situations aren't quite the same since the evidence was discovered after the armorer's conviction. Also, the man who discovered the evidence is a former sheriff's deputy who is a friend of the armorer's father, so it can be inferred the armorer's attorneys know about it. They may get a new trial, but it's doubtful there would be an outright dismissal.

“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s father said his daughter’s involuntary manslaughter conviction should be overturned after Alec Baldwin’s case — on the same charge — was tossed by a judge Friday.

“Well, I think that’s good,” Thell Reed, 81, told the DailyMail of the stunning end to Baldwin’s case, which was thrown out when a New Mexico justice ruled prosecutors had withheld evidence from the defense.

“I think Hannah’s case should also be dismissed,” the legendary Hollywood armorer told the outlet.

[jarnon]

Movie armorer on Alec Baldwin's film ‘Rust’ pleads guilty to gun charge in separate case

I know much less about gun safety than BiT, but IMHO Gutierrez-Reed is not a responsible person who should to be in charge of the firearms on a movie set. If she had been caught during the bar incident, she would have been fired and Halyna Hutchins would be alive.