Alec Baldwin on the phone during Rust gun training
US actor Alec Baldwin was on the phone during firearms training for a movie where he fatally shot a cinematographer on set, prosecutors said, as they charged him with involuntary manslaughter.
Santa Fe’s District Attorney’s Office accused the actor of “many instances of extremely reckless acts”.
The film’s armourer has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Baldwin was working on the movie Rust, rehearsing a scene, when Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed after Baldwin allegedly fired a prop gun.
Tuesday’s documents detailing the charges announced earlier in the month, portray a chaotic set with a reckless approach to gun safety.
Baldwin was “distracted” talking on his mobile phone during training on how to operate the prop gun, according to Robert Shilling, a special investigator for the district attorney’s office.
In a statement of probable cause filed with the manslaughter charges, Mr Shilling argues that if the actor had performed mandatory safety checks with armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and not pointed the gun at Hutchins, the “tragedy would not have occurred.”
“This reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol directly caused the fatal shooting,” he said.
“Baldwin knew the first rule of gun safety is never point a gun at someone you don’t intend on shooting,” Mr Shilling added.
The charging document outlines at least a dozen “acts or omissions of recklessness” leading up to the shooting, including:
- Not using a replica firearm for an unscheduled rehearsal
- Letting the armourer leave the set against protocol
- Deviating from the practice of only receiving the gun from the armourer
- Not dealing with safety complaints on set
- Not performing required safety checks with the armourer, who was hired without adequate certification
Lawyers for Baldwin and the armourer have said they both intend to fight the charges in court.
If found guilty they could face up to 18 months in prison.
