According to the New Mexico district attorney, the accidental shooting of a photographer on the set of the upcoming Western film "Rust" may face criminal charges.
Mary Carmack-Altwies, a prosecutor for the first district of New Mexico, told The New York Times that when it comes to the future of the case, she said authorities "did not rule out any possibility."
Last Thursday, actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the film at a ranch near Santa Fe when he was told by the assistant director that it was a "cold gun" or an "unloaded" gun.
But a bullet fired from a gun hit and eventually killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, who has now been discharged from the hospital.
Carmack-Alteves told The New York Times: "Everything, including criminal charges, is on the table at this time. ”
It's unclear what bullets were inside the gun at the time of the shooting, and district attorneys said authorities were looking at ballistics to determine what bullets were inside the gun, According to The Times.
The gun was reportedly given to Baldwin by Rust assistant director Dave Halls, who he considered the gun to be a "cold gun," meaning Baldwin believed there was no form of ammunition or empty gun inside.
According to media reports, the investigation also tried to determine who bore the gun.
She explains: "There are a lot of bullets in this scene and we need to find out what kind of them they are. A search warrant obtained by Fox News Tuesday revealed that authorities collected ammunition and multiple firearms from the scene during the investigation — though the inventory did not specify the type of ammunition found.
In the days after the incident, the guns fired were called prop guns, but Carmack-Alteves disputed the term, which was not a prop gun.
She said: "This is a legal real gun. This is an antique gun, a gun suitable for the times. But she didn't mention specific categories.
Rust is a Western film starring Baldwin and The Supernatural alumnus Jensen Ackles.
The district attorney said people on set at the time of filming were still under investigation by detectives.
She added: "We may need weeks or even months of follow-up investigations to reach the litigation. ”
Similarly, the Santa Fe forensic and coroner recently told Fox News that Hutchins' autopsy could take "six to ten weeks" or more.
Carmack-Alteves told The Times she was not aware of reports that crew members used these weapons for recreational firing hours before the incident, calling such reports "unconfirmed."
She also said the case was one of the most challenging cases in Santa Fe County in recent memory.
"We've always had complex cases, but with such big people involved in this case, the situation is even more complicated," she said. ”
District attorneys will speak with reporters Wednesday morning with Sheriff Adan Mendoza.
It's unclear who will be charged, though some believe Baldwin could face charges other than assistant director Halls.
Mark Geragos, a prominent criminal defense lawyer, told Fox News: "Alec Baldwin is probably in charge because he's a producer and has a good say in terms of budget. ”
Geralgos also mentioned Baldwin saying: "He would have been shocked if no manslaughter charge had been made in this situation." "Defense attorneys believe that in the case of manslaughter, there will be no criminal prosecution.
As of Wednesday morning, no charges had been filed against the Rust shooting. Prosecutors and law enforcement officers are expected to provide an update on the investigation in the near future.