The tragic shooting on the set of the movie Rust which was taking place in Santa Fe, Mexico, took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and left another injured. Hutchins, a wife and mother of one, was unintentionally killed by actor Alec Baldwin.

Baldwin issued a statement following the accident. “There are no words to express my sorrow and anguish over the horrible accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother, and well regarded colleague of ours. I’m fully working with the police inquiry into how this tragedy transpired, and I’ve contacted her husband to express my condolences to him and his family. My heart goes out to her husband, their son, and everyone who knew and loved Halyna.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, a handful of camera crew members walked off set prior to the fatal shot because safety measures were not adequately followed. “This set was unsafe simply because they didn’t have the wherewithal to follow safety guidelines that we have in this industry that we’ve been following for decades,” said camera operator Lane Luper, according to Sky News.

The late Hutchins’ family filed a wrongful death complaint against Baldwin and others for “reckless actions and cost-cutting.”

According to the lawsuit, “Halyna Hutchins deserved to live, and the Defendants had the power to prevent her [passing] if they had only held sacred their duty to protect the safety of every individual on a set where firearms were present instead of cutting corners on safety procedures where human lives were at stake, rushing to stay on schedule, and ignoring numerous complaints of safety violations.”

It went on to say, “This lawsuit seeks justice for the losses of her survivors and holds those accountable for her terrible [death].”

The actor’s lawyers requested that any cases against him be dismissed, alleging that the incident was a “workplace accident.”

But, according to paperwork filed earlier this week officially confirming the charges, Baldwin is accused of being “distracted” while talking on his phone to family members during instruction about how to operate the fake pistol to be used on set.

But, a Santa Fe district attorney said on Tuesday that Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed would be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Halyna Hutchins.

“I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to press criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew after a comprehensive study of the facts and the statutes of the state of New Mexico,” Mary Carmack-Altwies said.

“No one is above the law under my watch, and everyone deserves justice.”

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed have now been charged formally with two counts of involuntary homicide.
The “tragedy would not have occurred” if Baldwin had performed mandatory safety checks with the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and not pointed the gun at Hutchins, according to Robert Shilling, a special investigator for the district attorney’s office, in a statement of probable cause filed with the manslaughter charges.

“The tragic shooting was directly caused by this reckless violation from accepted norms, practice, and routine,” he stated.

“Baldwin was well aware that the first rule of gun safety is to never point a gun at someone you do not plan to shoot.”

Assistant director David Halls reached a plea agreement and will be on probation for six months.

Investigators uncovered 500 rounds of ammunition, including blanks, dummies, and what seemed to be live shots, in the months following the incident.

Both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed may face up to 18 months in prison if proven guilty. They’d also have to pay a $5,000 fine.

Their attorneys stated that they would challenge the charges in court.

We are deeply saddened that a young life was lost in this manner.