Alec Baldwin skipped a mandatory firearms safety training for 'Rust' and
was on the phone with his family during a private, on-set session,
prosecutors allege

Rebecca Cohen, Erin Snodgrass, and Natalie Musumeci Jan 31, 2023, 2:02 PM
Alec Baldwin, Rust set
Alec Baldwin, Rust set Mark Sagliocco / Getty Images for National
Geographic / Jae C. Hong / AP Photo

Alec Baldwin received "minimal" firearms training ahead of the fatal
"Rust" shooting, prosecutors said.
Baldwin and the film's armorer were charged with involuntary
manslaughter in Halyna Hutchins' death.

Baldwin was distracted during an on-set firearms training session, the
armorer alleged.

Alec Baldwin missed a mandatory firearms safety training before filming
began for "Rust," prosecutors alleged in court documents filed Tuesday.

Both Baldwin and the film's armorer, Hannah Guiterrez-Reed, were charged
Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the October 2021
accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Santa Fe,
New Mexico, movie set of "Rust," according to court documents.

"Baldwin was provided only minimal training on firearms," the statement
of probable cause against Baldwin reads, adding that he had "limited
training" in firearms, including the cross draw technique that was
required for the scene he was practicing as well as how to check if a
weapon was loaded or unloaded.

Prosecutors said evidence shows Baldwin was not present for required
firearms training prior to the start of filming. Guiterrez-Reed told
investigators she realized the actor needed more training and thought
additional safety sessions were "very important" for Baldwin, given his
character's use of guns throughout the film.

The documents allege Gutierrez-Reed then scheduled a private, on-set,
hour-long session with Baldwin, but the session ended up only being 30
minutes in length because "Baldwin was distracted and talking on his
cell phone to his family during the training," Guiterrez-Reed told
prosecutors.

"The on-set and limited time of training does not comport to industry
standards," prosecutors said, adding "Baldwin's failure to ensure
minimum standards were met is considered reckless in the industry."

In a statement of probable cause against Guiterrez-Reed, prosecutors
said the young armorer also failed in her professional role to meet
industry standards by not demanding Baldwin focus during the training or
keeping the session on track.

She later told investigators Baldwin's firearm training was essential
and could have prevented the fatal shooting.

Photos and videos from on-set the day of the shooting show Baldwin as he
practiced drawing and pointing the gun, according to court documents.
Prosecutors say the evidence clearly shows Baldwin with his finger
inside of the trigger guard and on the trigger several times, in stark
deviation from best practices.

Baldwin was seen mishandling the firearm despite his public assertions
that he is an "expert" in the realm of firearms and filmmaking;
investigators counted at least 40 instances of the actor previously
using a weapon in film or television productions throughout his career.

Prosecutors said Guiterrez-Reed failed to correct Baldwin's misuse of
the weapon and generally ran a "reckless" set in regards to firearms
use, allowing unqualified crew members to handle guns and missing
several key safety checks in the hours leading up to the fatal shooting.

An lawyer for Guiterrez-Reed responded to the charges against her on
Tuesday, saying prosecutors had "misunderstood the facts" and "reached
the wrong conclusions."

Attorney Jason Bowles said his client "pleaded" to provide more firearms
training; asked to use a plastic gun for the rehearsal scene; and
requested to be called back to set if Baldwin was going to use a real
gun at any point. Bowles said producers brushed her aside and repeatedly
denied her requests.

"We will fight these charges and expect that a jury will find Hannah not
guilty," Bowles said.