The ‘Rust‘ shooting has been one of the most shocking and unfortunate incidents to have occurred on a film set in recent times. A bullet was accidentally fired from the gun of Alec Baldwin, the actor, and producer of the film, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The shooting also resulted in Joel Souza, the film’s director, getting seriously injured. There is a new update on the long legal battle that followed. A five-year gun enhancement charge against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been dropped by the prosecutors. Let’s find out the details.
Related: What Charges Are Against Alec Baldwin Over Rust Shooting?
Manslaughter Charge Against Alec Baldwin Is Dropped
Alec Baldwin has been at the receiving end of the legal blizzard after a gun from his hand killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured Joel Souza (the director of ‘Rust‘) in 2021.
According to a Variety report, Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been dropped from a five-year gun enhancement charge by the prosecutors. The defendants argued that the law did not apply when the shooting took place in 2021.
Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer, and Baldwin are facing a maximum of only 18 months of a jail sentence if the two are convicted of involuntary manslaughter over Hutchins’ death. On January 31, prosecutors sought to change harsh penalties over gun crimes after the charge was filed. However, the New Mexico law does not go into effect until May 2022.
In case you missed: What Is The Settlement Deal Between Rust Team And Halyna Hutchins Estate?
Baldwin Won’t Face 5-Year Jail Time
Heather Brewer, the spokeswoman for D.A., said: “In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys, the District Attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the ‘Rust’ film set.”
She further said, “The prosecution’s priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys.” Earlier, Baldwin had put the blame on the film’s crew for not properly checking the gun.
Assistant director David Halls signed a plea agreement for the charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon on the film’s team. He had given the gun to Baldwin which killed Hutchins and severally injured Joel Souza.
You might also like to read: Alec Baldwin Blames Crew For The Rust Shooting. Heres What He Said
