Firearm enhancement charges against Alec Baldwin dropped in Rust movie shooting: What's next?
The bullet that hit Halyna Hutchins was fired by Alec Baldwin.
New Mexico prosecutors have dropped firearm enhancement charges against actor-producer Alec Baldwin in the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021 on the Rust movie set. As per the BBC, dropped charges carry a mandatory five-year prison sentence, but Baldwin still faces two involuntary manslaughter charges and up to 18 months in prison. Prosecutors dropped the charge to avoid further legal distractions, according to a Santa Fe county district attorney spokesperson. In the October 21, 2021 incident, a bullet was fired by Baldwin on the Bonanza City, New Mexico set of the movie and hit Hutchins and writer-director Joel Souza. While Souza survived his injuries, Hutchins did not.
The firearm enhancement charges was also dropped for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armourer. The defence lawyers for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed had been arguing against the firearm enhancement charge, stating that the prosecutors were applying a law version passed after the October 2021 shooting incident. Baldwin's lawyer had previously stated that his client relied on the professionals who assured him that the gun did not have live rounds.
The tragic incident has ignited a debate over the handling of firearms on movie or TV show sets, the resulting dangers, and how to minimise them. There have been proposals by organisations involved in the film business to make sure such tragedies never happen in the future. Some have called for stricter regulations, while others have suggested banning live firearms on sets altogether.
Also Read:Alec Baldwin set to resume filming for Rust weeks after being charged of involuntary manslaughter
Halyna's death is not the first tragedy of its kind on a movie set. The son of actor and legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee, lost his life in a similar incident. He was hit by a .44 calibre slug while shooting a scene for the movie The Crow.
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Following the incident, Rust's filming was suspended. It will now resume this year. Souza will return, while Bianca Cline will assume the cinematography duties. The film, which is a western, stars Baldwin, Travis Fimmel, Brady Noon, Frances Fisher, and Jensen Ackles.
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