‘Rust’ Prosecutor to Announce Decision on Criminal Charges on Thursday

A New Mexico prosecutor will announce a decision Thursday as to whether she will file charges against Alec Baldwin and others in the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust” in 2021.

Mary Carmack-Altwies, the First Judicial District Attorney, will announce the decision at 9 a.m. Mountain Time, according to a statement from her office.

Baldwin was holding a Colt .45 while setting up a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, near Santa Fe, when the gun fired, striking cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza. Hutchins, 42, was killed. Souza was struck in the shoulder.

Baldwin has repeatedly stated that he did nothing wrong, noting that he was told the weapon was “cold,” meaning it did not have a live charge. His attorneys have placed blame on four other people, including three crew members and an ammunition supplier.

The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office completed its investigation in October 2022 and forwarded it to the district attorney’s office for review. The district attorney’s office has already sought state funding for up to four criminal trials.

The investigation included a forensic analysis of the gun and examination of Baldwin’s phone records, which took many months to obtain.

Investigators have already released reams of evidence in the case, including video interviews and crime scene photographs. The investigation found that the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, loaded Baldwin’s gun with a live round instead of a dummy round. The rounds had similar markings, but were different colors. Other live rounds were also found on the set, including one in Baldwin’s holster.

Gutierrez Reed’s attorney has placed blame on Baldwin, as well as on Seth Kenney, the “armorer mentor” who supplied ammunition to the set.

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