In Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial Wednesday, attorneys argued over the actor’s culpability for a shooting death on the set of “Rust.”
SANTA FE, N.M. — Prosecutors began to make their case to a jury Wednesday that Alec Baldwin is responsible for the shooting death of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins nearly three years ago. Special prosecutor Erlinda Johnson said in her opening statement that the actor repeatedly “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety” and — despite his contentions — had to have pulled the trigger that released a live round from a prop gun, killing Hutchins and wounding the movie’s director.
Events moved quickly on the first day of testimony in Baldwin’s trial for involuntary manslaughter, which could send him to prison for up to 18 months if jurors find him guilty. After openingfootage taken moments after the shooting, as emergency responders tended to Hutchins and Joel Souza, the injured director. In one chaotic scene, several people surrounded Hutchins, who was still alive at the time. “Deep breaths! Deep breaths!” a responder yells.
Baldwin’s behavior with the weapon — a .45 Colt revolver that was supposed to have been loaded only with dummy rounds. , Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that line of argument to be irrelevant, in part because Baldwin was only one of the film’s producers.Baldwin has maintained that he never pulled the gun’s trigger when it fired, raising the question of whether it malfunctioned when Hutchins and Souza were shot during a rehearsal on Oct. 21, 2021. But prosecutors say they will bring in witnesses who will speak to the gun being in “perfect working condition” and disprove the actor’s claim.
While police and emergency medical services were on their way, “the cast and crew outside trying to figure out what happened, frantic, talking to those responsible for … safety,” Spiro said. “The armorer’s yelling, ‘Sorry!’ Halls, the first assistant director’s panicked. … Sarah Zachry, the head of props, will tell you she threw some stuff out.
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