‘Rust’ Shooting Update: Sheriff’s Report Handed Over to DA, No Word Yet on Criminal Charges

The district attorney’s office for Santa Fe County, New Mexico, has received the completed sheriff’s report for the shooting on the set of “Rust” that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and is now beginning its own review of the case.

“The district attorney and her team of investigators and prosecutors will now begin a thorough review of the information and evidence to make a thoughtful, timely decision about whether to bring charges,” the DA’s office said in a statement.

“As with all cases that the District Attorney handles, her focus will be on upholding the integrity of the process, enforcing the laws of the state of New Mexico, and pursuing justice,” the DA’s office also said.

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Last month, DA Carmack-Altwies was granted more than $300,000 in emergency funding from the Santa Fe county board to pursue the “Rust” case, though that is half of what her office requested. At the meeting at which she placed the request, Carmack-Altwies said that she would be “potentially charging between one and four people with criminal charges and each of those charges will probably include some variation of our homicide statute.”

It is unclear whether actor Alec Baldwin, who was holding the gun that discharged and killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza, will be among those facing criminal charges. In an Aug. 30 letter to county officials Carmack-Altwies hinted that Baldwin could be one of the named defendants, a move that was criticized as “irresponsible” by Baldwin’s attorney as the official sheriff’s report had not been sent yet.

The production of “Rust” is set to resume in January, though a new cinematographer and armorer have not yet been hired.