It's been awhile since we've gotten an update on consequences for Alec Baldwin following the shooting on the set of 'Rust' in 2021, but the district attorney handling the matter is showing movement...and it doesn't look good for the actor.
According to Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office is due to complete its final report next month on the investigation of the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza — and she's ready to file criminal charges in "weeks, if not days" based on the contents of the Sheriff's Office report's findings.
Those who may be charged in October, according to Carmack-Altwies, are a group of four individuals, including "well-known movie actor Alec Baldwin," the DA said as part of an emergency request to New Mexico's Board of Finance for funds to potentially prosecute Baldwin and others.
"During the filming of [Rust], Alec Baldwin shot and killed Halyna Hutchins and injured Joel Souza while rehearsing a scene. Many individuals had handled the gun that ultimately killed Hutchins and injured Souza," Carmack-Altwies said in her request. "Since October of [2021], my office has been waiting for evidence to be examined by the FBI. The results of the investigation have now been returned to my office," she noted. "Only a few items are outstanding but are expected any day."
As for what criminal charges the DA anticipate bringing against the defendants that could include Baldwin, Carmack-Altwies told New Mexico media she's "certainly looking at all the homicide statutes and any gun statutes under New Mexico criminal code."
Alec Baldwin and others could soon face criminal charges, as the DA in Santa Fe, New Mexico is weeks “if not days” away from receiving a final report, after a deadly shooting killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust.” https://t.co/hrKqljFBOK pic.twitter.com/W93suk7CyK
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 27, 2022
Carmack-Altwies' request for more than $635,000 noted that she's preparing for what would be four separate jury trials for the defendants and anticipating a hard fight at a potential trial against "well-paid and experienced defense lawyers" from New York and Los Angeles. She cited needing to hire additional staff to handle different aspects of what may be imminent trials, including a media spokesperson, an investigator, and a prosecutor dedicated to the case in addition to expert witnesses.
Ultimately, the Board of Finance granted the DA's office $317,750 in funding during its meeting last week, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin has maintained his denial that he fired the gun that killed Hutchins and injured Souza, claiming it discharged accidentally.
"I feel that someone is responsible for what happened and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me," Baldwin said in December, as Townhall reported. He also said at the time he didn't think he'd be charged in the matter. "I've been told by people who are in the know...that it's highly unlikely that I would be charged with anything criminally."
Time will tell whether Baldwin and his "people who are in the know" were right that he won't face charges for his role in the shooting, and that time might be just days away.