Criminal charges possible in accidental killing of Halyna Hutchins on film set

There may be criminal charges filed in the accidental fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, a US prosecutor has said.

Hutchins was accidentally shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie  in New Mexico. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident where Baldwin was reportedly practicing drawing the weapon when it discharged.

Souza has left hospital since the incident which stunned Hollywood as production of Rust is paused. Police are currently investigating the Hutchins' death.

"We haven't ruled out anything,” said Santa Fe County district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies in the investigation. "Everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table."

Carmack-Altwies will be joined by Santa Fe County sheriff Adan Mendoza in a high-profile press conference concerning the incident later today (October 27th).

The prosecutor said the investigation is focused on what type of round was in the gun that killed Hutchins. Carmack-Altwies said the question of who put the ammunition in the gun is also important.

"There were an enormous amount of bullets on this set and we need to find out what kinds they were,” she said and added that it may be months before the investigation is complete.

"It's probably weeks, if not months, of follow-up investigation that we're going to need to get to the point of charging,” she said. The prosecutor also pointed out that it was reported the weapon was a “prop gun” however, she said it was a “a legit gun.” And added that, “it was an antique-era appropriate gun.”

According to court documents, Rust assistant director Dave Halls unintentionally handed Baldwin the loaded weapon. Halls apparently indicated to Baldwin that it was safe to use before the incident as he shouted “cold gun" — Hollywood jargon for a gun with no live rounds or blanks.

The assistant director had been sacked from a previous production over gun safety violations. Halls was dismissed on the set of Freedom's Path after a gun unexpectedly discharged under his watch leading to a minor and temporary injury for a crew member.

Court papers released on Tuesday detailed items seized by authorities including three black revolvers. Ammunition boxes, a fanny pack containing ammunition, spent castings, two leather gun belts, items of clothing and swabs of what was believed to be blood were also seized.

According to the LA times, five days before Hutchins' death, Baldwin’s stunt double accidentally fired two live rounds after being told that the gun had no live ammunition. Unnamed sources told the LA Times that at least one camera operator raised concerns over gun safety on set the weekend before the fatal shooting.

Baldwin is fully cooperating with the investigation and was distraught by Hutchins' death, describing it as a “tragic accident.” The producers of Rust have launched an internal investigation into the issue.

“The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company, " said Rust Movie Productions in a statement. “Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down. We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time.”