New twist in the investigation targeting Alec Baldwin. Criminally prosecuted by the justice of New Mexico for manslaughter, the actor risks an 18-month prison sentence, just like the armorer of the film, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
Only if the 64-year-old was also targeted by an aggravating factor – due to the use of a firearm – which made him face five years behind bars – this was dropped by prosecutors “in order to avoid loss of time”. This aggravating factor had been disputed by his lawyers, on the grounds that it was based on a New Mexico law that was not in force at the time of the tragedy.
Alec Baldwin is also the subject of a civil complaint from the Ukrainian parents and the victim’s sister, the family lawyer announced on Thursday.
On October 21, 2021, the filming of the movie “Rust” on a ranch in New Mexico, a state in the southwestern United States, turned tragic when Alec Baldwin fired a weapon that was supposed to contain only blank bullets, but whose real projectile killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza.
Alec Baldwin, known in particular for his role in the series “30 Rock”, has always maintained his innocence. According to him, he was assured that his weapon was harmless, and he denies having pulled the trigger. An assertion questioned by many experts.
This rare news item had shocked Hollywood and had a strong impact, triggering calls to ban firearms on the sets, where the presence of live ammunition is in theory already prohibited.