Alec Baldwin to be charged with involuntary manslaughter over Rust shooting [View all]

Actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter over the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on a film set when he fired a prop gun.

Mr Baldwin had been rehearsing a scene for the Western film Rust when the shooting happened at a ranch near Sante Fe, New Mexico in October 2021.

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the film's armourer, will also be charged.

Lawyers for both said they intended to fight the charges in court.

Santa Fe's District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced the charges on Thursday, adding that they would be filed by the end of the month.

"Actor and producer Alec Baldwin and armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter," the statement read. "I have determined that there is sufficient evidence."

"On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice," she said.

Both face up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 (£4,040) fine if convicted. They will be tried by a jury, prosecutors said.

Link - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64337761
----------------------------------
I am not quite sure what to think of this. I had the impression the shooting was accidental. I can understand negligence on the part of whomever allowed live ammunition on the set. Perhaps a legal mind can explain this better.