Alec Baldwin played 'make believe with a real gun' on Rust set: prosecutors

On Wednesday, prosecutors began delivering their opening statements in Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial, wherein the 66-year-old actor is accused of having shot 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021. Attorney Erlinda Johnson described Baldwin's handling of the firearm provided to him as "reckless," suggesting he played "make believe with a real gun."

Johnson informed the jury, which was chosen on Tuesday, that they would be presented with evidence showing that there were "numerous breaches of firearm safety" on set, and that Baldwin did not do enough to ensure he did not put anyone in harms way. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year and sentenced to 18 months in prison. If convicted, Baldwin could face a similar fate.

"When someone plays make believe with a real gun in a real-life workplace and playing make believe with that gun violates the cardinal rules of firearm safety, people's lives are in danger and someone could be killed," Johnson said, per Sky News. "That's what this case is about ... Simple and straightfoward."

The prosecutor added that prior to the shooting, Baldwin requested "the biggest gun available" and then failed to adhere to basic safety protocols, noting that he allegedly "didn't want to offend" Gutierrez as Rust was just her second gig on a feature length film.

Johnson went on to explain that when Gutierrez handed Baldwin the gun prior to the scene in question, it had been loaded with dummy rounds, but that one real round ended up in there as well. She accused Baldwin of failing to check to make sure the bullets rattled as dummy rounds are supposed to, citing the safety rule that mandates those handling firearms on set treat each one as if it's real.
 

"He pointed the gun at another human being," she added, "cocked the hammer and pulled that trigger, in reckless disregard for Ms Hutchins' safety."