by Andrew Hay
– On October 21, 2021, a reproduction Single Action Army revolver actor Alex Baldwin was using to set up a camera shot on the film “Rust” fired a live round, killing cinematographer Helena Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
The following developments include Baldwin’s comments regarding a shooting on a film set in New Mexico, marking the first fatal on-set shooting in Hollywood in nearly 30 years.
2021
December – In an ABC News interview with George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin denies responsibility for the shooting. He says the revolver “went off” on its own, and that he did not pull the trigger.
2022
July – An FBI examination of Baldwin’s gun revealed it was “functioning normally.” The revolver could not fire from the fully cocked position without the trigger being pulled.
2023
January – New Mexico state prosecutors charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter and a firearms enhancement, which could send him to five years in prison.
February – Prosecutors dismiss a gun enhancement charge because his lawyers argued the law was not in effect when the shooting happened. Baldwin still faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter, for which he could face up to 18 months in prison.
March – “Rust” first assistant director Dave Halls pleads guilty to not checking the rounds in Baldwin’s gun and enters a plea agreement with prosecutors. Halls is convicted of a misdemeanor charge and given a six-month suspended sentence. He is the only member of the “Rust” cast or crew to have entered a plea agreement.
– New Mexico state prosecutor Andrea Reeb has resigned after Baldwin’s lawyers said her holding two positions in state government was illegal. Reeb is also a Republican state representative.
– Two weeks later, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis said she was resigning as prosecutor. She appointed veteran Albuquerque criminal defense attorneys Carrie Morrissey and Jason Lewis as the new special prosecutors.
RIL – A few weeks before the preliminary hearing, Morrissey and Lewis dropped the charges against Baldwin. A person familiar with the case said Baldwin’s legal team presented evidence that the revolver had been modified, allowing it to fire without pulling the trigger.
– Morrissey said she would re-file charges if independent testing of the gun confirmed it was in normal working condition.
August – Independent firearms expert Lucien Haag finds that the gun will not fire in the fully cocked position without the trigger being pulled. Haag says the damage to the trigger sear and the rounding of the full-cock notch on the gun are due to FBI testing rather than modification.
October – Prosecutors say they will charge Baldwin based on Haag’s trial.
– Prosecutors offered Baldwin the same plea deal they gave to Halls, then withdrew it, alleging that the actor’s efforts to protect his “public image,” including pressuring witnesses in the case to be interviewed for a documentary on Hutchins, would continue to harm the victims and their families.
2024
January – Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter for the second time, as a Santa Fe grand jury indicts him.
March – “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by a Santa Fe, New Mexico jury for accidentally loading a live bullet into Baldwin’s gun.
RIL – New Mexico District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommers sentenced Gutierrez to the maximum 18 months in state prison, saying he had shown no remorse.
May – Sommer denies a motion by Baldwin’s legal team to dismiss the charges, as they argue prosecutors rigged the grand jury against the actor.
– Baldwin’s legal team learned that Haag’s August 2023 study included a supplemental “third report,” which was never shown to them, which said there were unexplained tool marks on the gun’s trigger that did not appear to be from the original manufacturer, regular use, or FBI testing.
June – Baldwin’s legal team says Haag’s third report contradicts their original findings and reinforces their argument that the gun was modified. They accuse prosecutors of hiding exculpatory evidence from the grand jury and defense attorneys.
-Baldwin’s team has published emails showing state prosecutors were told in April 2023 by his movie set firearms safety expert Brian Carpenter that the full-cock notch had been filed down.
– Marlo Sommer rejected Baldwin’s additional motions to dismiss the charge based on factors such as the destruction of the gun during the FBI investigation.
– Haag said in a court hearing that he now believed the unexplained tool marks mentioned in his third report were the result of FBI testing of the gun.
July 10 – Opening statements in Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial.
July 12 – The judge dismisses involuntary manslaughter charges against Alex Baldwin after his lawyers allege the police concealed evidence.
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