A shot killed a camerawoman during a film shoot. Explosive: Hollywood star Alec Baldwin was holding the gun. Did he carelessly put her life at risk – or was he just doing his job?
In the trial against Alec Baldwin for the negligent killing of a camerawoman, the defense portrays the incident as a tragedy for which the Hollywood star is not to blame. “Alec Baldwin did not commit a crime. He was an actor who played his role,” said attorney Alex Spiro in court in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
With a serious look and visible tension, Baldwin follows his lawyer’s opening statement. The trial is about the question of whether the 66-year-old acted negligently when he fatally shot a camerawoman on the set of the western “Rust” in 2021 and therefore has to go to prison.
The charges stem from a shooting incident on the set of “Rust”. On October 21, 2021, lead actor Baldwin pulled out a revolver during rehearsals, as requested by the director. But instead of harmless blanks, live ammunition went off. A bullet hit camerawoman Halyna Hutchins (42) and then director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, on the shoulder. The mother of a then nine-year-old son died shortly afterwards, while Souza escaped with minor injuries.
Responsibility of employees on set
“There will not be a single witness in this trial, not a single shred of evidence that Alec knew or could have known that the gun was loaded with a live cartridge,” stressed defense attorney Spiro. “Actors do not check the guns; safety is ensured by special personnel.” But the responsibility for ensuring that guns are safe during filming lies with gunsmiths and other employees.
No actor has ever removed live ammunition from a revolver prop, Spiro continued. Alec Baldwin was therefore not guilty of anything, he was just doing his job. Twelve jurors are to decide in the eight-day trial. Baldwin pleaded not guilty. He faces up to 18 months in prison.
Purple shirt and serious look
Baldwin was seen on TV images from the courtroom with a serious expression on his face. He wore a dark suit and tie and a purple shirt and occasionally put on his glasses to read documents. His wife, Hilaria Baldwin (40), and one of his brothers, actor Stephen Baldwin (58), were also in the courtroom, according to journalists present.
Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson presented a different version of Baldwin’s responsibility to the jury: “The evidence will show that the person who played with a real gun and violated basic gun safety rules is the defendant Alexander Baldwin.” He is therefore guilty of negligent homicide.
In her opening statement, Johnson also highlighted the role of the already convicted gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Many workers on set were aware that Gutierrez-Reed had little experience as a gunsmith. Despite this, Baldwin “never conducted a safety check when he had that gun in his hand.”
The actor also mishandled the revolver in many other cases. Baldwin pointed it at people during filming. “You’ll see him put his finger on the trigger when his finger shouldn’t be on the trigger,” Johnson told the jury.
“On a film set you can pull the trigger”
Attorney Spiro countered: “On a film set, you can pull the trigger.” If Baldwin did this – even if he can’t remember it – that doesn’t make him guilty. His client couldn’t have known that the gun was loaded with a live bullet, which shouldn’t actually be on sets. The revolver was handed over to the star of films such as “The Hunt for Red October” and “Blue Jasmine” after it had been tested.
After the opening statements, two police officers and a crime scene technician were called as the first witnesses in the trial on Wednesday. During the questioning, Baldwin and the other participants in the trial were repeatedly shown video recordings that showed the chaos and confusion after the fatal shooting. In a particularly intense recording, people could be seen fighting for Hutchins’ life as she lay lifeless on the ground.
Previous guilty verdict against gunsmith
Judge Mary Marlowe has scheduled the trial to last until mid-July. Cameras are permitted – the proceedings will be made available to the public via live stream. Filmmakers, investigators and weapons experts are expected to take the witness stand. It is not yet known whether Baldwin himself will testify.
In a separate trial, Gutierrez-Reed, the gunsmith who was responsible for gun safety on the set of “Rust,” was already found guilty of negligent homicide. She had loaded the gun, which contained live ammunition. In April, she was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
