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Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin has been formally charged in New Mexico with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the western film Rust.

Baldwin has vowed to fight the two counts against him, with his lawyer calling the case a “terrible miscarriage of justice”.

A live round killed Halyna Hutchins, 42, after a prop gun held by the 64-year-old star was discharged during rehearsals for the movie in October 2021.

The charges – which could see Baldwin sent to jail for up to five years – would require prosecutors to convince a jury that Baldwin was not just negligent but reckless in his use of a firearm.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was the armourer on the set of Rust. File pic: Shutterstock
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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was the armourer on the set of Rust. File pic: Shutterstock

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for weapons on the Rust set, has also been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Legal experts have said prosecutors will struggle to win convictions without proof Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed knew live ammunition was present but took no precautions.

In a statement of probable cause of Hutchins’s death, the Santa Fe District Attorney listed several problems with Baldwin’s conduct.

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They said:

  • Baldwin was not present for required firearms training
  • After failing to show up to this training, he received a 30-minute on-set training during which he was distracted talking to his family on the phone
  • He exhibited “reckless behaviour” in the lead up to Hutchins’s death
  • He had pointed the firearm at Hutchins in the lead up to the incident violating gun safety rules
  • Baldwin had not performed the required safety checks with Gutierrez-Reed
  • He broke protocol by letting Gutierrez-Reed leave the church set
  • He did not deal with safety complaints on set
  • He did not use a replica firearm for the unscheduled rehearsal
  • He allowed the hiring of Gutierrez-Reed, who had worked on just one production before the movie, which showed he “failed to demand the minimum safety standards, protocols, and requirements on set”

The District Attorney also said that on the day of the shooting, there were “no less than a dozen acts, or omissions of recklessness” on the set before the incident, not including the actor’s handling of the gun.

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Alec Baldwin vows to fight charge over Rust shooting
Baldwin did pull trigger, says FBI
The key points from Baldwin interview after shooting

“Baldwin’s deviation from known standards, practice and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins,” the District Attorney said.

Both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be required to appear in court – in person or virtually – within 30 days.

The District Attorney and special prosecutor will then present their case to the judge, who will rule whether there is probable cause to move forward with a trial.

Hutchins’s family welcomed the charges when they were announced earlier in January, saying Baldwin showed “conscious disregard for human life”.

Rust assistant director Dave Halls is facing negligent use of a deadly weapon charges. He has pleaded no contest and has entered into a plea agreement that is pending approval.

Pic: Dave Halls/Twitter
Image:
Pic: Dave Halls/Twitter

Industry-wide firearms safety guidelines instruct actors to assume a firearm is loaded with blanks and rely on professional weapons handlers to ensure a weapon is safe.

Actors are told to only point a weapon at a person under the guidance of firearms professionals. Live ammunition is strictly forbidden on sets.

Gutierrez-Reed said she checked the rounds she loaded in the revolver were dummies before handing it to Halls.

Actor Alec Baldwin  leaves his home in New York
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Baldwin pictured in New York as the charges were due to formally be filed

Halls handed it to Baldwin, telling him it was a “cold gun” or unloaded, according to police.

Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, said: “Hannah pleaded to provide more firearms training. She was denied and brushed aside.”

He added: “We will fight these charges and expect that a jury will find Hannah not guilty.”

Read more: Alec Baldwin remains defiant and even bullish

The decision on charges was made about three months after prosecutors received the final report on the shooting from the Santa Fe sheriff’s office, following a lengthy investigation also involving the FBI.

The sheriff’s office investigation has yet to reveal how live ammunition got onto the set.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in a shooting on the set of the western film Rust. Pic: Swen Studios/ Reuters
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Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in a shooting on the set of the western film Rust. Pic: Swen Studios/ Reuters

Baldwin and the Rust production company reached a civil settlement for an undisclosed amount with Hutchins’s family in October and announced that production of the film would resume this year. After the criminal charges were announced, the film’s lawyer confirmed Baldwin would remain in the lead role in the film.

Hutchins’s husband Matt will also remain executive producer – and Joel Souza, who was injured in the shooting, is returning as director.

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Police take no further action over Bob Vylan’s London performance

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Police take no further action over Bob Vylan's London performance

Police will take no further action over alleged chants at a Bob Vylan concert in London.

Met Police had launched an investigation after allegations the singer, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, was heard in footage saying “death to the IDF (Israel Defence League)”.

The footage was filmed at a performance supporting Iggy Pop, 78, at Alexandra Palace in May.

In a video, Mr Robinson-Foster is also alleged to have said: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel.”

But the Met Police confirmed they are closing the investigation following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The Glastonbury performance led to a police investigation. Pic: PA
Image:
The Glastonbury performance led to a police investigation. Pic: PA

‘No further action will be taken’

A spokesperson for the force said: “On Wednesday 2 July, officers became aware of footage that appeared to have been filmed at Alexandra Palace in London on 28 May. An investigation was launched into the language used in the footage.

“Early investigative advice was sought from the Crown Prosecution Service who considered a number of potential offences but determined that, based on the information and material available, there would likely be insufficient evidence to take the case forward.

“As a result, officers have decided that no further action will be taken. We recognise the concerns that the footage caused, particularly among many in London’s Jewish communities.

“It emerged during a period where we have seen a concerning rise in antisemitic hate crime.

“We continue to work closely with community representatives to understand those concerns, to ensure the safety and security of Jewish Londoners and to provide reassurance moving forward.”

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It followed footage of Mr Robinson-Foster allegedly leading a chant of “death, death to the IDF” during a BBC live-streamed performance at Glastonbury Festival, in June earlier this year, leading to an investigation from Avon and Somerset Police.

A man, in his 30s, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, had voluntarily attended an interview on Monday in relation to the band’s Glastonbury performance, the force said.

Police added the individual was not arrested but an investigation is ongoing.

After the Glastonbury appearance, the group were dropped from a number of festivals.

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Samantha Morton calls for manslaughter charges over deaths of children in care

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Samantha Morton calls for manslaughter charges over deaths of children in care

Actor and director Samantha Morton has said councils who fail to prevent the deaths of children in care should face manslaughter charges.

Warning: This story contains references to suicide.

In a powerful interview with Sky News, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning actor and director, who grew up in care, said Britain’s care system needs to be “completely rethought”.

It comes after a Sky News documentary, A Girl Called Nonita, told the story of 18-year-old Nonita Grabovskyte, who died in the care of the state following a catalogue of failures by those responsible for her care.

Nonita took her own life on railway tracks in December 2023, just two weeks after her birthday. She had previously told doctors and social workers that she intended to kill herself as soon as she turned 18. But nothing was done to prevent her death.

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Unseen: A girl called Nonita

“I was a child of the state, just like Nonita,” Morton told Sky News.

“I was put in care at birth until I got the letter to say I was no longer the council’s responsibility. I was kicked out at 16 and put into a homeless hostel.”

After spells of homelessness, she found a local TV actors’ workshop and managed to secure roles that would eventually lead to Hollywood.

But she says she has never forgotten her childhood, which saw her in and out of children’s homes and foster families.

“The lack of care historically is shocking,” she said. “But the lack of care today is worse. Back then, it felt like there was at least some comeuppance.

“The system now is not fit for purpose. It needs root and branch reform. It needs to be completely rethought.”

The young people who grew up in care who have died in England since 2020

2020: 40

2021: 30

2022: 60

2023: 90

2024: 80

Source: Department for Education

The data shows a sharp rise in deaths among care leavers – young adults who have aged out of the care system and are expected to live independently, often with little or no support.

The Department for Education only began collecting data for care leavers aged 22 to 25 in 2023, meaning the true scale of deaths over the past decade is likely to be far higher.

Morton says councils should be held more accountable for the deaths of children in their care, especially if local authority failings contributed to deaths.

Pic: Invision/AP
Image:
Pic: Invision/AP

‘State manslaughter’

“A failure to care has massive consequences,” she told Sky News. “And the consequences are that people like Nonita die. I believe that that is a kind of state manslaughter.

“And individuals who fail to do their job properly should be in a dock.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told Sky News that deaths of care-experienced young people should “shame us all”.

All deaths of children in the care of the state must be reported to the government via the Child Safeguarding Incident Notification Scheme.

But there are doubts as to whether all deaths are being reported.

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Phillipson: ‘Nonita was failed on so many levels’

‘Shames us as a country’

Ms Phillipson told Sky News she has asked officials to urgently review the process to check for underreporting.

“I’m concerned about serious incident notifications – about making sure we’re receiving all notifications of such incidents taking place,” she said.

“Because it’s only if we know what’s happening, if we fully understand what’s going on in the lives of children, that we as a government, as a country, can provide the support they need.”

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Thousands of NHS staff to lose jobs

Ms Phillipson added: “It shames us all as a country that we so badly fail many of the most vulnerable children who’ve experienced such appalling trauma and abuse in their early lives.

“I read every single notification personally – and it always stays with you. Every case is a child or young person who deserved better.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help, and support is available. You can call Samaritans free on 116 123 anytime day or night. You can also email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find support online.

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Sally Kirkland, famous for her Oscar-nominated roles in The Sting and Anna, dies aged 84

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Sally Kirkland, famous for her Oscar-nominated roles in The Sting and Anna, dies aged 84

Sally Kirkland, a former model and Oscar nominated actress known for her roles in films such as Anna, The Sting and JFK has died aged 84.

Her representative, Michael Greene, said Kirkland died on Tuesday morning at a Palm Springs hospice.

Kirkland had been unwell and struggling to cover medical bills after she fractured six bones last year and developed two life-threatening infections. She had also been diagnosed with dementia.

A GoFundMePage that was set up by her friends to help pay for her ongoing treatment had raised over £45,000 ($60,000).

Michael Douglas, left, and Sally Kirkland appear with their best actor Golden Globes for Wall Street and Anna. Pic: AP
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Michael Douglas, left, and Sally Kirkland appear with their best actor Golden Globes for Wall Street and Anna. Pic: AP

Her biggest role was in the 1987 film Anna, as a fading Czech movie star remaking her life in the United States and mentoring a younger actor.

Kirkland won a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination alongside Cher in Moonstruck, Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, Holly Hunter in Broadcast News and Meryl Streep in Ironweed.

Born in New York City, Kirkland was encouraged to start modelling at age five by her mother, who was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life magazines. Kirkland went on to graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1961.

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An early breakout for the star was appearing in Andy Warhol’s 13 Most Beautiful Women in 1964.

Sally Kirkland in 2015. Pic: Reuters
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Sally Kirkland in 2015. Pic: Reuters

Some of her earliest roles were playing Shakespeare parts, including Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Miranda in an off-Broadway production of The Tempest.

She once told the Los Angeles Times: “I don’t think any actor can really call him or herself an actor unless he or she puts in time with Shakespeare.”

Kirkland was also infamous for her nude scenes, often disrobing in films and for social causes. In particular, Kirkland volunteered and advocated for people with AIDS, the homeless and prisoners.

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