Alec Baldwin is an American actor, producer, and comedian. He is a critically acclaimed actor and has starred in movies like ‘Beetlejuice‘, ‘Alice In Wonderland‘, ‘Blue Jasmine‘, ‘The Aviator‘, ‘The Cooler‘, ‘Rise of the Guardians‘, and many more. Baldwin has also starred in shows like ‘Saturday Night Live‘, ‘30 Rock‘, ‘Thomas and Friends‘, and more. He also acted in plays in theater such as ‘Macbeth‘, ‘Orphans‘, ‘Serious Money‘, ‘All My Sons‘, and many more. Baldwin has won three Emmys and eight SAG Awards.
In October 2021, Baldwin was involved in an accidental fatal shooting on the set of the film ‘Rust‘. On October 21, 2021, the film’s cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and director Joel Souza was injured as a result of discharging a live round from a prop revolver. Hutchins ended up succumbing to her wound and died the next day. This led to a massive uproar from both the public as well as the film community. People all around the United States started asking for stricter gun safety mechanisms. The film fraternity also demanded a ban on using real guns on film sets.
Related: Alec Baldwin Dropped From Five-Year Gun Enhancement Charge Over ‘Rust’ Shooting
About The ‘Rust’ Shooting Incident
The ‘Rust’ movie was a passion project for Baldwin. The production had scheduled a 21-day shoot for the movie, with filming set to begin on October 6, 2021, in New Mexico. On October 21, the twelfth day of shooting, the crew was supposed to shoot a gunfight scene in a church in Bonanza City, New Mexico.
When the crew was practicing the scene wherein Baldwin takes out a gun and points it towards the camera, Hutchins and Souza were standing nearby the camera dolly looking at the camera operated by Reid Russell. When the camera was being repositioned to avoid shadows, Baldwin was practicing taking out the gun and pointing it toward the camera.
It is during this, that the gun was fired. The bullet hit Hutchins in the chest and Souza in the shoulder. People on the set claimed that Baldwin didn’t fire the gun and no footage of the incident was taped. Hutchins was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital where she was declared dead the next day. Souza was treated in Santa Fe and discharged the next day.
In Case You Missed It: What Charges Are Against Alec Baldwin Over ‘Rust’ Shooting?
Will Alec Baldwin End Up In Jail?
On October 21, the Santa Fe County Sherriff started investigating the incident. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, and the First Judicial District Attorney of the state are all investigating the incident as well. The FBI determined in August 2021, that the revolver couldn’t be fired without pulling the trigger. They also determined that the firing was not because of any mechanical failure.
In January 2023, the assistant director of the movie, David Halls pleaded guilty to reckless use of a fatal weapon. On January 31, Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter. The duo could face five years in jail if found guilty.
Nevertheless, the prosecutors reduced the charges when Baldwin’s attorneys said that he was being charged in error under a version of the statute that was not approved until months after the incident. After the new decision, if found guilty, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed may spend up to 18 months in jail. That amount of time is significantly less than earlier.
But will Baldwin end up in jail? Yes, the actor will have to go to jail for 18 months if found guilty. But the legal experts believe that the veteran actor won’t accept the verdict and will most probably take his case to a jury. Baldwin may request probation instead of time in jail, even if a jury finds him guilty, and since he has no past criminal record, he would probably be granted this request.
You May Also Like To Read: Alec Baldwin’s Children: Everything You Need To Know About The Actor’s Large Family
