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American political commentator Candace Owens slammed the decision to drop all charges against Alec Baldwin after he fatally shot Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer of the western film Rust. On April 21, the 33-year-old personality took to her Twitter handle to slam the decision, calling it "positively criminal."
Owens said that the 65-year-old star "literally shot and killed someone" on a movie set but "will never have to face charges," concluding:
"Unbelievable privilege that only a wealthy, connected democrat could experience."
For the unversed, during a rehearsal on October 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing a Colt.45 pistol at Hutchins when it discharged, slaying her and injuring the director, Joel Souza.
According to Baldwin, the pistol accidentally went off. He additionally stated that he did not fire the trigger and that crew workers told him the rifle was not loaded on many occasions. In the film business, the phrase "cold gun" refers to a revolver that is either empty or filled with fake bullets. The actor claimed that he was informed that the revolver was one of them.
He was accused of two counts of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the death of Hutchins and the injuries suffered by Souza in January 2023. Hutchins's death was blamed on the actor's alleged "reckless" disregard for personal safety.
Special prosecutors drop involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin
In the Rust shooting case, the special prosecutors made it clear that even if the charges against Alec Baldwin have been withdrawn, this "does not absolve" him of "criminal culpability" in the tragic on-set shooting.
While speaking to Fox News Digital on April 20, special prosecutors Jason Lewis and Kari Morrissey remarked on Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter charges being dropped:
"Over the last few days and in preparation for the May 3, 2023, preliminary hearing, new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case against Alexander ‘Alec’ Rae Baldwin, III. Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form."
Adding to the statement, the special prosecutors added that they would be "dismissing" the charges against the actor to undergo further investigation:
"This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going."
Alec Baldwin entered a not-guilty plea to manslaughter in February 2023 and accepted the court's conditions, including a prohibition on the use of firearms and alcohol, in order to complete the low-budget movie.
The charge was also dropped against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who worked as an armorer on the movie. She was also charged with involuntary murder, but has pleaded not guilty.
Investigators are yet to identify how the live bullets ended up on set. According to the production company, Alec Baldwin and other cast members went back to work on the movie on Thursday, April 20, in Montana.
