SANTA FE, New Mexico – Actor Alec Baldwin entered a plea of not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection to the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in 2021. A grand jury indicted Baldwin on the single count back in January. The incident occurred at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when Baldwin was holding a prop gun that fired a live round, fatally shooting Hutchins, 42, and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin’s attorney stated that he waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he did not pull the trigger before the gun fired. The defense also claimed that assistant director Dave Halls had cleared the gun of any live ammunition prior to the incident. Halls later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation.
The armorer for the production, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and is set to go on trial in February. She has also pleaded not guilty. According to Baldwin, he was directed by Hutchins to take certain actions with the gun during the scene that led to the tragic shooting.
Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, have shared that they are looking forward to presenting their case in court. The actor had previously been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the case was dropped in April due to new facts requiring further investigation and forensic analysis.
The tragic incident has highlighted the importance of safety protocols on movie sets and the potential consequences when they are not followed. As the legal proceedings continue, the entertainment industry will likely see increased scrutiny and regulation to prevent similar accidents in the future.
The outcome of Baldwin’s trial and the ongoing discussions regarding safety measures on film sets will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the industry, as it grapples with the aftermath of this devastating event.