Prosecutors have indicated that Hollywood star Alec Baldwin may face charges over the fatal shooting on the set of his movie “Rust.”
New Mexico has granted an emergency request by First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies to approve funds for the prosection’s case.
The DA’s office has been investigating last year’s fatal film-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin.
The state Board of Finance approved more than $317,000 to cover the cost of investigation and prosecution.
As many as four people could face charges, according to a copy of the request obtained by a media outlet.
Carmack-Altwies did not say anyone definitely would be charged but she did say:
“One of the possible defendants is well-known movie actor Alec Baldwin.”
She said she was ready to file charges against four people and is “certainly looking at all the homicide statutes and any gun statutes under New Mexico criminal code.”
Baldwin has denied responsibility for the shooting and even claimed he didn’t pull the trigger when the gun he was pointing at Hutchins was fired.
However, evidence has since emerged that has proved Baldwin’s claims to be false.
The DA also sent a message to Baldwin writing that one of the “final pieces of evidence” her office was waiting for was Baldwin’s cellphone.
According to Fox News:
Carmack-Altwies declined to mention which members of the cast and crew are under investigation but revealed the charges brought forth by the prosecution include a wide range of charges from homicide to violations of the state’s gun statutes.
A final report on the findings of the investigation is expected from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office soon, according to Carmack-Altwies.
Baldwin was holding the gun when it fired accidentally, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Despite a recent FBI forensic report stating the gun could not have fired a bullet unless he pulled the trigger, Baldwin claims he never pulled the trigger.
From NPR:
For months, actor Alec Baldwin has said that he did not pull the trigger of a gun that fatally shot a crew member while they were filming in New Mexico. But new forensic evidence may tell a different story.
The FBI recently finished and sent a report to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, which is handling the investigation. Officials found that the weapon, meant to be a prop, could not be fired without pulling the trigger.
Baldwin’s lawyer called the FBI’s findings “misconstrued,” adding that the gun in question was in “poor condition,” in a statement to NPR.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and so far no one has been charged with any wrongdoing, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
