'Rust' shooting investigation handed over to district attorney for possible charges
More than a year after the fatal shooting on the New Mexico set of Alec Baldwin's film "Rust," investigators have turned over their report to the local district attorney, officials said.
A Santa Fe County Sheriff spokesperson confirmed to ABC News on Thursday it had handed the case over to Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, who will decide whether to press criminal charges against anyone involved in the shooting.
Carmack-Altwies' office also confirmed it received the sheriff's investigative report on Thursday.
"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," Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the district attorney'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."
In the days after the Oct. 21, 2021, on-set shooting, Carmack-Altwies told ABC News that "everything ... including criminal charges, is on the table."
Halyna Hutchins, 42, was working as a cinematographer on the Western when she was shot and killed by the film's star, Baldwin, during an accident while he was practicing using a handgun on set. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.
Questions have surrounded how live ammunition made it onto set and into the prop gun and whether proper safety precautions were taken by crew members.
Earlier this month, the family of Hutchins announced it had reached a settlement in its wrongful death lawsuit against the film's producers, including Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC.
"I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin)," Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, said in a statement released by his attorney. "All of us believe Halyna's death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna's final work."
The statement also said that Matthew Hutchins will now take over as executive producer of the film, which will resume filming in January with all of the principal actors and Souza back as director.
Carmack-Altweis' office has previously stated that the settlement "will have no impact" on whether she files any charges.
"While civil suits are settled privately and often involve financial awards, criminal cases deal only in facts. If the facts and evidence warrant criminal charges under New Mexico law then charges will be brought," Brewer said in a statement. "No one is above the law."
Baldwin has previously said he doesn't believe he will face any criminal charges in the accident.
"I've been told by people who are in the know, in terms of even inside the state, that it's highly unlikely that I would be charged with anything criminally," he told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview late last year.
ABC News' Vera Drymon and Mark Osborne contributed to this report.
