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News that Boss Baby star Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun on the set of Rust has made headlines all over the media. The incident on October 21 also injured director Joel Souza, who was later discharged from the hospital.
Since the initial reportage of the incident, several reports have rushed in of alleged mismanagement of prop weapons on the set of Alec Baldwin starrer Rust.
Business and entertainment attorney Joseph Costa recently spoke to the New York Post about the legal ramifications Alec Baldwin and other producers of Rust could face in the future.
What did the lawyers say about the potential legal complications surrounding Rust's incident?
As mentioned before, several reports of alleged negligence during the production of the film have come to light recently. Weighing in on these, Costa told the NY Post:
"As an executive producer, you are in a position of control and you can get prosecuted criminally. All the state needs to demonstrate is that he (Alec Baldwin, who fired the gun) was engaged in a lawful, but dangerous act and did not act with due caution."
He further added:
"...the state has to prove for involuntary manslaughter, which is a fourth-degree felony with a maximum penalty of up to 18 months in prison."
Furthermore, LA defense attorney Denise Bohdan told the NY Post:
"Everyone will be sued. Anyone running that set will be sued, especially when they find out who specifically was cutting corners on the set."
Although Alec Baldwin has mentioned in his tweet that he is cooperating with law enforcement to investigate the tragedy, the 63-year old star could still face legal charges.
While the actor may evade manslaughter charges citing his lack of knowledge about the gun being loaded with a 'live round,' Alec Baldwin is still part of the production as a producer.
However, 24-year old armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, responsible for the safety of the prop weapons on set, may face the most extensive legal charges of all involved members.
The official affidavit from Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office stated that Hannah Gutierrez Reed placed three guns on a cart outside the set, including the one with a live round. The firearm was given to Alec Baldwin by Assistant Director Dave Hall, who did not know it was loaded with a live round.
Following the incident, Reed recently deleted her social media accounts. Although multiple publications allege her negligence, the armorer has not been charged by law enforcement.
According to Daily Beast's sources, while shooting The Old Way, Reed allegedly gave a prop firearm to an 11-year old actress without checking. Their source also claimed that she loaded the gun on the ground, where pebbles or other objects could have lodged in the barrel, potentially causing a fatal incident like on Rust.
Controversy on the set of Rust before the mishap
Several sources had previously revealed that the union of workers on set had been protesting as production refused to reimburse them for accommodation at the shooting's location, i.e., Santa Fe. However, the film producers did not meet the crew's demands and made them commute around an hour from Albuquerque to the set.
This caused the workers to walk off the set just hours before the fatal mishap. New reports have also alleged that there had even been another misfire of a prop weapon a few days before the accident.
The gun used by Alec Baldwin was not a prop at all?
According to TMZ's report on October 23, the prop gun, which claimed the life of Halyna Hutchins, was used by crew members to target practice off the sets. The report also had a source claiming that live rounds were stored at the exact location as the blank ones.
If these allegations end up being accurate, then producers of Rust (including Alec Baldwin) and Hannah Guiterrez Reed may face severe legal actions taken against them. Furthermore, the family of the deceased Halyna Hutchins is also likely to sue the film's producers.
