Polarizing actor Alec Baldwin may soon have some very serious legal problems on his plate.
Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” two years ago.
He has always maintained it was an accidental shooting, but prosecutors now seem to think otherwise.
The Shooting and Charges
Baldwin had the gun in his hand when he claimed it discharged on its own. Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis seem to disagree.
They stated, “After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza.
“We believe the appropriate course of action is to permit a panel of New Mexico citizens to determine from here whether Mr. Baldwin should be held over for criminal trial.”
Baldwin’s attorney fired right back, stating, “It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution.
“We will answer any charges in court.”
Even though it was assumed the movie would just be canned, they have actually resumed filming “Rust,” with Baldwin returning to the set to finish the film.
Baldwin is also facing civil suits over the death of Hutchins, so I am sure her family is not exactly thrilled that he has returned to the set of the movie to complete it.
While Baldwin says the gun went off involuntarily, anyone who knows anything about guns would argue against that point. It is about 99.9 percent impossible for a revolver like that to fire on its own, which would seem to be the road the prosecutors would pursue with this.
I still find the sloppy handling of the weapon shocking, as well as the fact the gun was not checked for a live round at any time during this process.