Santa Fe District Attorney Has Not Ruled Out Criminal Charges Over the Death of Halyna Hutchins on the Set of Alec Baldwin Movie

It has been a week since the accidental and fatal shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin’s movie “Rust.” Baldwin is staring in and producing the western film, and he was the one who shot the gun that ended up firing and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

Baldwin was completely unaware that the gun had ammunition inside. He was told it was a “cold gun” which meant that it was safe to use on set.

New information reveals the prop gun was not some sort of fake gun but was a historically accurate Colt revolver. In addition, it was loaded with live ammunition when Baldwin shot the gun; although, the actor had no idea that was the case until after he shot it since he had been told otherwise.

The assistant director, David Halls, is the one who handed the gun to Baldwin and told him it was a “cold gun.”

The big question is, why was there ammunition inside the gun, and why didn’t Halls check to make sure there was not ammunition inside the gun before he shouted “cold gun”?

The responsibility of gun safety does not entirely fall on Halls’ shoulders though. Safety on set is also the responsibility of the film’s producers and the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed.

According to Mary Carmack-Altwies, the district attorney in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where “Rust” was being filmed, criminal charges have not been ruled out. During a phone interview, she told The New York Times, “We haven’t ruled out anything.” She added, “Everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table.”

Carmack-Altwies also revealed that during the investigation they found “an enormous amount of bullets on this set.” They are trying to determine what kind of bullets were in the gun Baldwin shot.

The investigation will continue for “weeks, if not months,” Carmack-Altwies explained. She added, “We have complex cases all the time. But this kind of complex case, with these kinds of prominent people, no.”

Watch the video below to learn more about what happened on “Rust” and to hear from a prop master who turned down a job on the movie because he felt the set was unsafe.

Do you think anyone should be held responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins? If so, who?