While Alec Baldwin may have thought he was in the clear of manslaughter charges stemming from the on-set death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, a new report suggests that the dust may not quite be settled. As per a forensic investigation released this week, it was determined that the gun Baldwin held could only have been fired by pulling the trigger.
The report (via Variety) involving Alec Baldwin and the Colt .45 used during that fateful moment on the set of Rust read, in part: “This fatal incident was the consequence of the hammer being manually retracted to its fully rearward and cocked position followed, at some point, by the pull or rearward depression of the trigger…Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver.” This could have serious implications for Alec Baldwin, who has adamantly denied pulling the trigger while filming Rust.
Until official word comes in whether or not Alec Baldwin will be charged, we do at least know that Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has entered a not guilty plea for involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. Gutierrez-Reed has been facing a wealth of accusations following the shooting, with beliefs that she was in possession of cocaine and may have been hungover during the shooting which left Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza injured. Her trial is set for this December.
Rust resumed production earlier this year, concluding in May. As of now, there is no release date set; Rust, too, may be pushed back if Alec Baldwin is charged. The movie’s official plot: “A 13-year-old boy, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, is taken on a violent, harrowing journey to old Mexico by his long estranged grandfather after he’s sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.”
Do you think Alec Baldwin will be charged again for the Rust shooting? Should the movie be indefinitely shelved until any trials conclude? Give us your predictions in the comments section below.