Alec Baldwin named as ‘possible defendant’ in Rust shooting as actor says life ‘may never be the same’
“My heart has been broken a thousand times this past year,” Baldwin writes on Instagram as Santa Fe DA names him in criminal probe
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Alec Baldwin has been named as one of four “possible defendants” by New Mexico prosecutors over the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of his movie Rust.
Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies named the actor while making an emergency request from the state’s Board of Finance for more funding to prosecute the case, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
“One of the possible defendants is well known movie actor Alec Baldwin,” she stated, according to a document obtained by the paper.
Ms Carmack-Altwies requested an additional $635,000 to prosecute the case, and was granted $317,000 by the New Mexico funding board.
When contacted by the New Mexican, she said the list of possible charges her office was looking at range from homicide to violations of state gun statutes.
In an Instagram post on Monday morning, Baldwin, who has just welcomed his seventh child with wife Hilaria, wrote: “My heart has been broken a thousand times this past year. And things in my life may never be the same.
“Lots of changes coming. But my family has kept me alive. They are my reason for living. And Hilaria Baldwin too.”
Baldwin has insisted that he did not fire the shot that killed Hutchins on the set of the western movie Rust in New Mexico in October 2021.
The 64-year-old maintains that he believed he was given an unloaded “cold gun” as he was about to film the fateful scene, and that the gun went off on its own.
The gun discharged one bullet which struck and killed Hutchins, 42, and also injured the film’s director, Joel Souza.
However, a recent FBI report concluded that Baldwin did pull the trigger.
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Ms Carmack-Altwies is expecting to receive the final investigation report from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office soon.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armourer, has been named in several lawsuits, including a wrongful death claim filed by Hutchins’ family.
Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas told The Independent in a statement that “false conclusions” had been drawn from Ms Carmack-Altwies’s request for more funding.
“The DA has made clear that she has not received the sheriff’s report or made any decisions about who, if anyone, might be charged in this case,” Mr Nikas said in a statement.
“The DA’s office must be given the space to review this matter without unfounded speculation and innuendo.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments