New evidence shows Alec Baldwin was reckless with a revolver before the weapon fired a live round that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021, prosecutors have alleged ahead of the actor's July manslaughter trial. Login or signup to continue reading The evidence, which includes images and video from crew and a set photographer, shows Baldwin pointed his gun at a crew member and fired a blank round, held his finger on the trigger when not supposed to and engaged in horseplay with the weapon, special state prosecutors said in a Monday filing. Baldwin's legal team said in a Monday motion to dismiss charges that prosecutors had built their case around the unproven hypothesis the gun was properly functioning and could not have gone off unless he pulled the trigger, an act the actor denies.
Baldwin's legal team argue the gun was modified, allowing it to fire without a trigger pull, an issue that has become central to the 17-month-old case. Hutchins died after Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez mistakenly loaded a live round into Baldwin's reproduction Colt .45 revolver during filming in a movie-set church near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Gutierrez in March was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced in April to 18 months in prison, the same term Baldwin will face if found guilty. Baldwin said he was directed to point the gun toward the camera, he cocked it, and it "went off" on its own. Among apparently new evidence that prosecutors intend to show at the July .