Two jurors in the 'Saturday Night Live' alum's 'Rust' manslaughter trial, which was dismissed on July 12, have revealed their doubts about the case against the actor.
- July 22, 2024
AceShowbiz - On July 12, 2024, a judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust" in 2021. Two jurors have now spoken out about their feelings towards the case.
Johanna Haag, known as Juror No. 7, stated that as the trial progressed, she began to feel that it wasn't "a very strong case." She believed that the shooting was "clearly an accident" and that the idea of purposeful or reckless behavior on Baldwin's part was not realistic.
Gabriela Picayo, Juror No. 9, said that she too had doubts about the prosecution's case. She noted that the armorer on the set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, had already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, she believed that Baldwin, as an actor, should have been able to rely on the expertise of the crew on set.
The trial focused on the events of October 21, 2021, when Baldwin was rehearsing with a gun that he believed to be unloaded. The gun discharged a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger and that he was unaware of how live ammunition got into the gun. He expressed gratitude for the support he received during the ordeal.
The dismissal of the case leaves unanswered questions about the responsibilities and safety measures on film sets involving firearms.
