Alec Baldwin To Be Charged With Manslaughter For 'Rust' Killing, Provoking Viral Debates Online
Yesterday, reports spread like wildfire around the internet that Alec Baldwin would be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for pulling the trigger in the killing of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in October 2021.
In the year since the tragedy, Baldwin has denied responsibility, claiming he was assured on the day in question that the gun he had been rehearsing with did not contain live ammo. Prosecutors, however, are arguing that it was Baldwin's responsibility to check the gun for live ammunition before handling it. The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
"We’re trying to definitely make it clear that everybody’s equal under the law, including A-list actors like Alec Baldwin," Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb said. "And we also want to make sure that the safety of the film industry is addressed and things like this don’t happen again."
Though the tragedy has certainly been fuel for dark jokes at Baldwin's expense, the charge comes as a surprise for many in the film industry and Baldwin's own lawyers, who contend it was not the actor's responsibility to know if the gun was loaded, but rather the crew around him.
"Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set," Luke Nikas, Baldwin's attorney, stated. "He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win."
SAG-AFTRA contended, "An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert."
Should Baldwin or Gutierrez-Reed be found guilty, juries will choose which of the two manslaughter charges they are guilty of. The more severe charge faces a prison sentence of five years and the lesser charge 18 months.
As viral debates erupt across social media discussing the charges into today, memes and other jokes have also become prevalent online referencing Alec Baldwin, as well as Rust itself. According to reports, the film's production will continue amid the charges, though no release date has been provided still.
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TheMole10
He pointed the gun at someone he was upset with and pulled the trigger, even as a joke that would be excessive.
I also heard that she was investigating things related to him so let's see what happens.
RagingGhost
If you're going to be reckless with a gun, that's on you. Someone might've fucked up with the rounds, but Baldwin still pressed the trigger.
ConspiracyNut
And on purpose, too; no other way to do it with that gun no matter Alec's pathetic excuses.
Thegreatone_15926
This is a case of unjust prosecution. Yes someone murdered this man, but it was the person who placed the live round in the gun. Find the real killer not just a convenient one.
VeteranAdventureHobo
The reason this happened isn't Baldwins fault directly. The normal stage crew was on strike during the filming, and the strike breakers that they brought in were incompetent and gave him the gun without safety procedures. Baldwin honestly shouldn't have been willing to work with strike breaking stage crew, cause he's part of the actors union, but ultimately it was the people who made the decision to bring them on and the strike breakers themselves that caused the issue
Timey16
You COULD make the argument that the law doesn't care about such things… in the eyes of the law whomever discharges a weapon is responsible for what happens after. It should be applicable to even regular joes. After all if some guy is given a gun by someone else who tells him "don't worry it isn't loaded" and they shoot someone anyways with it, that average joe is still culpable.
At least I do think Hollywood shouldn't play by different rules, so I could see that standpoint. In the end even the actor that fires the weapon should double check.
Thegreatone_15926
Wrong. It is based on intent, something the state can not prove here. It is the laziness on behalf of the investigators to go find the real killer. Someone put a live round in that gun, same as if someone poisoned soup, would you charge the waiter?
clizard
It would be unrealistic for actors to double check firearms themselves (and unsafe as they could mess up the preparations the armorer made), and such a precedent would basically make it impossible for any actors to shoot a screen where they fire a blank with other actors (basically movies with elaborate gunfights like John Wick would have to be fully greenscreened or highly CGI'ed). Likewise, any automatic firearm would be completely unreasonable to verify on set (you would have to manually check 30 – 100+ rounds and risk jamming the gun if they are not placed correctly)
Sumarios
I haven't really followed this but it does seem weird he's being charged. Was there something special about this situation that makes it different from other on set accidents? Shouldn't it be on the armorer? I guess he should have checked his weapon but he's an actor not a cop or a soldier, would there be a reasonable professional expectation for him to do/know how to do that? The whole thing just seems strange.