The trial exploring the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the low-budget Western “Rust” will delve into the intersections of gun safety, celebrity, and filmmaking.
During the opening statements on Wednesday, Baldwin’s defense attorney, Alex Spiro, described the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy,” but asserted, “Alec Baldwin committed no crime; he was an actor, acting”, told AP News.
Spiro highlighted that Baldwin, who faces involuntary manslaughter charges, was merely performing his role in the film when Hutchins was killed in October 2021. “I don’t have to tell you any more about this because you’ve all seen gunfights in movies,” Spiro told the jury.
Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, however, argued that Baldwin skipped crucial safety checks and handled the revolver recklessly before the shooting. “The evidence will show that someone who played make-believe with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety is the defendant, Alexander Baldwin,” she stated, via Sky News.
Spiro countered that “these cardinal rules, they’re not cardinal rules on a movie set.” He emphasized that safety protocols should have been in place before Baldwin received the gun. “On a movie set, safety has to occur before a gun is placed in an actor’s hand,” he explained.
The first witness, former Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputy Nicholas LeFleur, described the chaotic scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch after the shooting. Body camera footage shown in court captured frantic efforts to save Hutchins, who appeared unconscious. Baldwin watched somberly as the video played, showing him being instructed not to speak to other potential witnesses, though he did so repeatedly.
Spiro attempted to show that neither LeFleur nor the second witness, former sheriff’s Lt. Tim Benavidez, treated the scene as a major crime scene initially. Benavidez, who collected the revolver post-shooting, admitted he was cautious for safety reasons but did not follow meticulous forensic procedures.
Ocampo Johnson recounted the events leading to Hutchins’ death, noting that Baldwin ignored multiple safety checks with armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She claimed Baldwin “did his own thing,” cocking the hammer and pointing the gun at Hutchins, resulting in her death.
Baldwin has maintained that the gun fired accidentally after he followed instructions to point it toward Hutchins, believing it was unloaded. Spiro argued that “no one saw him intentionally pull the trigger,” adding that even if he had, it wouldn’t constitute manslaughter. “On a movie set, you’re allowed to pull that trigger,” he asserted.
Spiro placed responsibility on the film’s armorer, Gutierrez-Reed, and assistant director David Halls, both of whom had roles in ensuring the gun’s safety. Gutierrez-Reed has already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and Halls pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Baldwin was told the gun was “cold” before he received it, Spiro noted, insisting that it had been checked and double-checked by those responsible for safety. “He did not tamper with it, he did not load it himself. He did not leave it unattended,” Spiro said.
Testimonies in the trial will scrutinize the weapon’s mechanics and whether it could have fired without a trigger pull. Prosecutors argue it couldn’t have. “That gun the defendant had asked to be assigned worked perfectly fine as it was designed,” Ocampo Johnson said.
The trial, spotlighting Baldwin — a renowned actor with a career spanning over three decades — will also explore the broader implications of gun safety on film sets and the responsibilities of those involved.