Alec Baldwin, accused of involuntary manslaughter, formally pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a US court, more than two years after the fatal shooting that claimed the life of the cameraman of his western “Rust”. from news.ro

The 65-year-old actor was due to appear in court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing, but his defense waived his right to appear and entered a plea of ​​not guilty.

The actor, who faces up to 18 months in prison, denies pulling the trigger and has always maintained he was assured his gun was harmless.

The case dates back to October 2021. Filming of the movie “Rust” took a tragic turn on a farm in New Mexico (Southwestern USA) when Alec Baldwin aimed a gun that was supposed to have only white bullets in it, but the real one killed cameraman Galina Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

The rare incident shocked Hollywood and prompted calls to ban firearms on film sets.

But it also raised suspicions of amateurism around these low-budget productions: some Hollywood actors noted that the handling of weapons on set is already subject to strict rules.

Alec Baldwin also produced the film. But he is persecuted only as an actor.

His defense is calling for a speedy trial to “minimize the risk of suspicion and defamation” against him in a case marked by numerous twists and turns and weaknesses on the part of the prosecution.

In April, the prosecutor’s office stopped prosecuting the actor, citing “new elements” in the investigation. The Los Angeles Times attributed this change of heart to the fact that the gun had been modified before it was delivered to the film crew, making it more likely that it was accidentally fired.

But the prosecutor’s office warned that the investigation is ongoing and that the actor has not been acquitted. In mid-January, after a new turn of events, he was charged again.

According to Variety , a new examination of the weapon in question conducted this summer found that it could only be fired by pulling the trigger.

This replica of a vintage gun is at the center of an investigation: the question is whether it could have fired itself.

The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA recently criticized Baldwin’s prosecution as based on “a misjudgment of an actor’s actual responsibilities.”

“An actor’s job is not to be an expert on weapons or firearms,” ​​the organization said in a statement. “Firearms are available for use on set under the guidance of several professional experts directly responsible for the safe and accurate use of these firearms.”

The film’s gunman, Hannah Gutierrez-Reid, is also charged with manslaughter in the case and is set to go on trial on February 21.

During the preliminary investigation, the police came to the conclusion that she was the one who put the cartridges in the gun used by Alec Baldwin, and not the fake bullet.

The investigation did not find out how live cartridges could get into the shooting range, where only blanks are allowed.

Last March, the film’s first assistant director, Dave Hall, was given a six-month suspended sentence after agreeing to plead guilty. He handed over the weapon at the center of Baldwin’s drama, assuring him that it was not dangerous.

“Rust” has since resumed filming and wrapped up in Montana, with Galina Hutchins’ husband Matthew serving as executive producer.

In late 2022, he dropped his civil suit against Alec Baldwin in an undisclosed settlement. Then he explained his wife’s death as a “terrible accident.”