(Headline USA) Actor Alec Baldwin claimed that he has been “exonerated” after fatally shooting someone and injuring another on the set of his movie, “Rust,” last year, despite a new report that determined he and other set managers failed to follow “standard industry practices.”
The report from the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau determined that gross negligence occurred on the set, and fined the film company producing “Rust” the maximum penalty of $136,693. It also alleged that “serious management failures,” including on Baldwin’s part, created an unsafe environment on set.
And if these failures had not occurred, the “fatal shooting of Halyna Hutching and the serious injury to Joel Souza” would also “not have occurred.”
“This is complete failure of the employer to follow recognized national protocols that keep employees safe,” the report alleged.
Baldwin served as one of the producers for “Rust,” and was also responsible for violating at least one safety measure that forbids set members from pointing a firearm at anyone without direct consultation.
However, Baldwin’s legal team claimed once again that he did nothing wrong.
“We appreciate the report exonerates Mr. Baldwin by making clear that he believed the gun held only dummy rounds,” his attorneys said in a statement.
“Mr. Baldwin had no authority over the matters that were the subject of the Bureau’s findings of violations, and we are pleased that the New Mexico officials have clarified these critical issues.”
The armorer on the set of “Rust” has also accused Baldwin of violating several gun safety rules. Hannah Gutierrez Reed alleged that he neglected to ask her to inspect the revolver he used in the fatal shooting, which would have revealed that the revolver held live rounds, and he knowingly pointed the revolver at other set members anyway.
“Mr. Baldwin knew that he could never point a firearm at crew members under any circumstances and had a duty of safety to his fellow crew members,” she said in a statement.
“Yet he did point the gun at Halyna before the fatal incident against all rules and common sense.”
