Rust Filming Continues After Death on Set

Production for Rust is set to continue in January of 2023, after Alec Baldwin is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.  

In October of 2021, Halyna Hutchins died after a prop gun was fired on the set of Rust. Alec Baldwin was holding the gun when it was fired but has claimed to never have touched the trigger. 

Baldwin also released his official account of the events leading up to Halyna Hutchins getting shot.  

“Now, in this scene, I’m going to cock the gun. And I said, do you want to see that? And she said, yes. So I take the gun, and I start to cock the gun. I’m not going to pull the trigger. I said, do you see that? She goes, well, just cheat it down and tilt it down a little bit like that. And I cocked the gun. I go, can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that? And she says – and then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off.” says Baldwin. 

An ABC article provided the FBI report that gives evidence that conflicts with Baldwin’s denial of ever pulling the trigger. 

“Could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger while the working internal components were intact and functional,” the report stated. 

Even after the release of this report, he still rejects any claims putting him at fault. 

“Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is,” Baldwin added. “But I know it’s not me.” 

His lawyer also makes a statement calling the report “misconstrued” due to the poor condition of the gun. 

Baldwin has expressed that instead of him being the one responsible for what happened, the blame lies with the person in charge of the props instead. 

According to Juliana Kim, a reporter for NPR, Hannah has also decided to seek legal action. 

“Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of the film’s firearms, has also filed a suit against an ammunition supplier for including live rounds in an ammunition box that allegedly was meant to include only prop ones.” 

Alec Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas is also making statements to support Baldwin’s innocence in this situation and communicating that he hadn’t known anyone could be harmed by the prop. 

“The critical report is the one from the medical examiner, who concluded that this was a tragic accident. This is the third time the New Mexico authorities have found that Alec Baldwin had no authority or knowledge of the allegedly unsafe conditions on the set, that he was told by the person in charge of safety on the set that the gun was ‘cold,’ and believed the gun was safe.” 

Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faced similar charges once everything had been decided. 

“Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in January 2023 in connection to her involvement in the shooting on the set of Rust, with a firearm enhancement charge added to the punishment. On February 20, 2023, the firearm enhancement charge was dropped for her and actor Alec Baldwin, meaning they now only face up to 18 months behind bars.”