Local weapons master, defense lawyer share insight on new Alec Baldwin charge
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Alec Baldwin's lawyer said they will fight and they will win.
It comes after Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 shooting death of a cinematographer on the set of the film, "Rust."
Baldwin was holding the prop gun when a round fired, killing Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
A weapons master, also known as an armorer, who works on film sets in Pittsburgh told KDKA his job is to be in charge of the weapons and ammo, and nothing else.
He and an attorney shared their thoughts on the charges related to the fatal shooting on the set of "Rust."
"When I heard about this incident, it was like, what a total breakdown of any type of safety," weapons master Todd Barton said.
Barton works a few times a year as a weapons master on film sets in the greater Pittsburgh region, and back in Oct. 2021, he couldn't believe what happened at a "Rust" rehearsal in Santa Fe, Calif.
"It's all very much regulated and that's how it's supposed to be done," Barton added.
When a prop gun Alec Baldwin was holding discharged a round, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchens and hurting director Joel Souza, more than one year later, that incident is now leading to criminal charges that were announced Thursday by prosecutors in Santa Fe, with both Baldwin and movie armorer or weapons master, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, charged with involuntary manslaughter.
"That means that was no intent, but it was criminal negligence," criminal defense lawyer, Phil Dilucente, said.
Dilucente said he's not surprised by the charges, but by how long it took for prosecutors to decide.
"It's a little surprising, only because the civil settlement with the decedent's spouse, the husband, had been settled months and months ago," Dilucente added.
He assumes ballistics and interviews with dozens of people on set were time-consuming. At this time, he's not predicting any outcomes if the case makes it to trial, but he did use the past to analyze the future regarding Baldwin's fate.
"There has been throughout Hollywood history when actors are charged with crimes, they are either one, not convicted, or two, convicted and it's a very light sentence. So, one would suggest from previous history that, that might be in the cards, but it's too early to say."
As for Barton?
"I think they're both going to go to jail, for a very short amount of time."
If the case makes it to trial and both are convicted, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed face up to 18 months in prison.
Before Thursday, prosecutors reached a plea deal with the assistant film director for negligent use of a deadly weapon.