After the fatal shooting on the set of the western “Rust,” film star Alec Baldwin is in court. There he had to watch Halyna Hutchins' final moments again.
Alec Baldwin listens to his lawyer's opening statement with a serious look and visible tension. The trial against the Hollywood star is about 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. “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,” emphasized defense attorney Alex Spiro in court in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“Actors do not check the weapons; safety is ensured by special personnel,” the lawyer continued to explain to the twelve jurors. The death of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins was a tragedy. But the responsibility for ensuring that weapons are safe during filming lies with armorers and other employees.
No actor would ever have removed live ammunition from a revolver prop, Spiro continued. Alec Baldwin was therefore not guilty of anything, he was just doing his job and acting. Twelve jurors are to decide in the eight-day trial. Baldwin pleaded not guilty. He faces up to 18 months in 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 specified in the script. But instead of harmless blanks, live ammunition went off. The bullet hit camerawoman Hutchins 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; Souza escaped with minor injuries.
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.
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 on Wednesday, a police officer was called as the first witness in the trial. During questioning, Baldwin and the other participants in the trial were shown several videos showing 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.
“Halyna, deep breath, deep breath, there you go. Deep breath, Halyna. Jesus,” a paramedic can be heard saying. Baldwin appeared to struggle with his emotions as he watched the footage. He kept lowering his gaze and putting his hand to his forehead.
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.
