The tragic incident on the set of the movie “Rust,” where Alec Baldwin fatally shot his colleague Halyna Hutchins, has taken a legal turn. Santa Fe prosecutors have officially charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter. The details of the incident reveal a lack of adherence to firearm safety standards and protocols during an unscheduled rehearsal.

The Santa Fe district attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, pointed out that Baldwin, an Oscar-nominated actor, did not attend all firearm safety training sessions before filming “Rust.” During the training he did attend, Baldwin appeared disinterested and preoccupied with his smartphone. The prosecutor’s team found a “reckless deviation from known standards and practice and protocol” during the unscheduled rehearsal, where standard safety checks were not completed, and a real gun was used instead of a prop.

Carmack-Altwies emphasized the pursuit of justice for Halyna Hutchins, stating that in New Mexico, no one is above the law. Baldwin has vowed to fight the involuntary manslaughter charge, maintaining that he did not pull the trigger and describing the incident as a horrible accident. If convicted, Baldwin could face up to five years in prison. The movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors revealed that Baldwin missed his initial firearms training session, and during a follow-up session, Gutierrez-Reed worked with him for only thirty minutes instead of the scheduled one hour. The prosecution claims to have evidence, including photos and videos, showing Baldwin with his finger inside the trigger guard and on the trigger multiple times. Baldwin approached responding deputies on the day of the shooting, acknowledging that he was the one who “fired” the gun.