USA "Rust" trial: Two versions of Baldwin's fatal shooting
Alec Baldwin follows his lawyer's opening statement with a serious look and visible tension. The trial against the Hollywood star is about the question of whether the 66-year-old was negligent when he fatally shot a camerawoman on the film set of the 2021 western "Rust" and must therefore go to prison. "There will not be a single witness in this trial, not a single shred of evidence that Alec knew or could have known that the gun was loaded with a live round," defense attorney Alex Spiro emphasized in court in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
10.07.2024, 21:30
SDA
"Actors do not check the weapons, safety is ensured by special personnel," the lawyer continued to the twelve jurors. The death of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins was a tragedy. However, the responsibility for ensuring that weapons are not dangerous during film shoots lies with weapons masters and other employees.
No actor would ever have removed live ammunition from a revolver prop, Spiro continued. Alec Baldwin was therefore not guilty of anything, but was simply doing his job and acting. Twelve jurors are to decide in the trial, which is scheduled to last eight days. Baldwin had pleaded not guilty. He faces up to 18 months in prison.
Purple shirt and serious look
The charge stems from a shooting incident on the set of "Rust". On October 21, 2021, lead actor Baldwin pulled out a revolver during rehearsals, as planned in the script. But instead of harmless blanks, live ammunition went off. The bullet hit camerawoman Hutchins (42) and then director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, in the shoulder. The mother of a then nine-year-old son died shortly afterwards, Souza escaped with minor injuries.
Baldwin could be seen on the TV pictures from the courtroom with a serious expression on his face. He was wearing a dark suit and tie as well as a purple shirt and occasionally put on his glasses to read documents. His wife, Hilaria Baldwin (40), and one of his brothers, actor Stephen Baldwin (58), were also in the courtroom, according to journalists present.
Prosecutor with serious accusations
Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson presented a different version of Baldwin's responsibility to the jury: "The evidence will show that the person who played with a real gun and violated the basic rules of gun safety is the defendant Alexander Baldwin". He was therefore guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
In her opening statement, Johnson also shed light on the role of the already convicted gun master Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Many people working on the set were aware that Gutierrez-Reed had little experience as an armorer. Despite this, Baldwin had "never carried out a safety check" when he had this weapon in his hand.
The actor had also failed to handle the revolver properly on many other occasions. Baldwin had pointed it at people while filming. "You'll see him put his finger on the trigger when his finger shouldn't be on the trigger," Johnson continued to the jury.
"You can pull the trigger on a movie set"
Attorney Spiro countered: "You're allowed to pull the trigger on a movie set." If Baldwin had done this - even if he could not remember it - this did not make him guilty. His client could not have known that the gun was loaded with a live bullet, which should not actually exist on sets. The revolver had been handed over to the star of films such as "The Hunt for Red October" and "Blue Jasmine" in a tested condition.
After the opening statements, a police officer was called as the first witness in the trial on Wednesday. Baldwin and the other trial participants were shown several videos during questioning showing the chaos and confusion following the fatal shooting. In one particularly intense shot, people could be seen fighting for Hutchins' life as she lay lifeless on the ground.
Earlier guilty verdict against weapons master
Judge Mary Marlowe has scheduled the trial until mid-July. Cameras are permitted - the proceedings will be made accessible to the public via livestream. Among others, filmmakers, investigators and weapons experts are expected to take the witness stand. It is not yet known whether Baldwin herself will testify.
In a separate trial, gun master Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for gun safety on the set of "Rust", had already been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She had loaded the gun, which contained live ammunition. In April, she was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.
