incident in 2021.

Recall that in the autumn of that year in the desert in New Mexico, work was in full swing on the Western film Rust, in which the famous actor Alec Baldwin was the producer and starring. On October 21, during a rehearsal for one of the scenes, Baldwin's character, according to the plot, had to point a revolver towards the camera and simulate shooting. But by a fatal coincidence, the 45-caliber Colt was loaded not with blanks, but with real live ammunition – a bullet wounded the film's cameraman Galina Hutchins in the stomach. Also, the ricochet of the bullet hit the film director Joel Sousa – he was injured in the collarbone. The victims were rushed to the hospital, but doctors could not save the woman.

Baldwin denied his guilt, first claiming that he did not shoot at all, then that he really had a revolver in his hand, but he did not pull the trigger. However, the FBI investigation came to the conclusion that the gun belonging to the props of the film was serviceable and could not have fired without human intervention. The actor was later charged with manslaughter.

The other day the court began considering the case on the first defendant – they became assistant director David Halls. He was charged with negligent handling of a deadly weapon. Earlier, Halls made a deal with the investigation, so he was given a suspended sentence of six months in prison. The man admitted to breaking the rules and not checking every round in the revolver before handing it over to Baldwin.

A similar charge was brought against weapons specialist Hannah Gutierrez-Reed – she was the one who inserted the cartridges into the clip. Her case, as well as the Baldwin case, will be heard by the court in May – David Halls will testify at these hearings.