While Alec Baldwin may think he is not responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins, it turns out he and other Rust crew members may not be in the clear just yet for their roles in the tragedy — at least, in the eyes of the Santa Fe District Attorney.
On Thursday, the 63-year-old actor sat down with George Stephanopoulos in his first lengthy interview post shooting to discuss the fatal incident on the movie set that left the 42-year-old cinematographer dead and director Joel Souza injured. During the conversation, Baldwin shockingly said he never felt guilty over what went down, saying:
“Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me. I mean, honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible. I don’t say that lightly.”
The 30 Rock alum also stated that he’s not even worried about facing criminal charges for the accidental shooting, telling Stephanopoulos:
“I have been told by people who are in the know, in terms of even inside the state, that it’s highly unlikely that I would be charged with anything criminally.”
Related: Alec Baldwin Thanks Hilaria For Giving Him ‘A Reason To Live’ Following Rust Interview
However, Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has not ruled out criminal charges as the investigation is still ongoing — and now she wants to make that notion crystal clear to Baldwin and others involved. According to Deadline, the DA warned on Friday that “certain individuals may be criminally culpable for his/her actions and/or inactions on the set of Rust.”
Carmack-Altwies said she aims to “exercise [her] prosecutorial discretion to its fullest, including filing charges that are supported by probable cause,” and her team is currently “exploring various legal theories at the time.” Most importantly, she stressed that since the probe hasn’t been completed yet, no decisions have been made about who will be facing charges at this time:
“As the First Judicial District Attorney, I have not made a decision to charge or not charge any individuals involved in the shooting that resulted in the death of Halyna Hutchins and injury of Joel Souza.”
She also added:
“Everyone involved in the handling and use of firearms on the set had a duty to behave in a manner such that the safety of others was protected, and it appears that certain actions and inactions contributed to this outcome.”
It sounds like she doesn’t want Baldwin or others involved, like armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and first assistant director Dave Halls, to get too comfortable while the probe continues.
According to Deadline, the investigation from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s office could potentially take several more weeks. But in the meantime, it seems like the police department would appreciate it if Baldwin would stop speaking out about the events of that day. One source told the publication that they for some reason felt “betrayed after all the consideration given to Baldwin in the aftermath of the shooting.” Meanwhile, another insider confessed he “is testing the department’s patience and becoming a distraction to the ongoing investigation.”
We will have to wait and see what Carmack-Altwies decides to do. But if she decides against criminal charges, it doesn’t mean Baldwin will necessarily be getting off scot-free as two lawsuits were already filed against him, Gutierrez-Reed, Halls, and more.
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
The post District Attorney Warns Alec Baldwin Could Still Be ‘Criminally Culpable’ For Fatal Shooting After <i>Rust</i> TV Interview appeared first on Perez Hilton.
