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By all accounts, Alec Baldwin is distraught over the death of Halyna Hutchins.
As you likely have read about by now, the actor fired a prop gun last week on the set of his latest movie, Rust, only for the weapon to inexplicably be loaded.
Baldwin therefore injured director Joel Souza in the accident, and actually killed Hutchins, who was working on the film as a cinemaphotographer.
She was 42 years old.
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” said Baldwin in a statement shortly afterward.
“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred.
“I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family.
“My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
Like we mentioned above, this was an awful accident.
But that doesn’t mean Baldwin is off the legal hook just yet.
Because he is also serving as an executive producer on the movie, Baldwin could still faces serious charges.
“As an executive producer, you are in a position of control and you can get prosecuted criminally,” an attorney has explained to The New York Post in the wake of thhis tragedy.
“It’s the equivalent of drinking and driving, meaning someone may not have intended to cause great harm but they do.”
New Mexico criminal attorney Erlinda Johnson, who works in the state where the incident occurred, agrees.
She said the star could face possible criminal liability for involuntary manslaughter.
A just-released search warrant affidavit, meanwhile, reveals heart-shattering new details regarding the fatal shooting on the movie set.
Last Thursday, authorities responded to an incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch set around 1:50 p.m. local time following 911 call indicating “an individual had been shot on set,” the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department wrote in a press release.
“The rehearsal took place inside a church structure and involved Alec drawing his weapon and pointing it at the camera,” the warrant continues, noting that, according to Souza, he “believed the gun was safe and used the term ‘cold gun’ while explaining the safety announcement.”
After rehearsal, the cast and crew then took a lunch break.
According to the warrant, Souza said that when they returned, he was unsure if the firearm used by Baldwin had been checked again for safety.
Souza also told authorities that when the cast and crew resumed, Baldwin was rehearsing a “cross draw” with the prop gun and Souza “was looking over the shoulder of Halyna… when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop.”
The director then noticed that Hutchins, who was standing behind him on-set, started “complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection.”
As she stumbled backwards and was “assisted to the ground,” a cameraman named Reid Russell recalled Hutchins saying she “couldn’t feel her legs.”
This is when medics started treating her for the injuries.
Hutchins was then airlifted to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
An investigation is underway.
“Mr. Baldwin came in voluntarily to speak with investigators,” sheriff’s office spokesman Juan Ríos noted in a statement, asserting that the situation would be treated like “any other investigation.”
The movie’s production company, Rust Movie Productions LLC, said in a statement regarding the accident:
“The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones.
“We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation.
“We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”
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