Renowned director Quentin Tarantino stated that Alec Baldwin is “10% responsible” for the tragic shooting on the set of the movie “Rust” that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Tarantino shared his thoughts during the Sunday episode of the “Club Random with Bill Maher” podcast.
When Maher asked the “Pulp Fiction” director for his take on the incident, he questioned how Baldwin could be held accountable, saying, “Either you believe he intentionally shot the cinematographer, or you don’t, and if you don’t think he did it on purpose, then it’s all nonsense, right?”
Tarantino responded by saying, “The armorer—the person responsible for the gun—is 90% responsible for everything that happens with that weapon. But the actor still holds 10% of the responsibility.”
He emphasized that, “It’s a gun. You share some level of responsibility.”
On October 21, 2021, Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the Western drama in New Mexico when the prop revolver he was holding discharged, killing 42-year-old Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Following the incident, Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter. However, in July, a judge dismissed the case with prejudice, citing that prosecutors had withheld evidence possibly linked to the shooting. Baldwin, who had pleaded not guilty, was emotional in court when the charges were dropped.
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison in April.
Tarantino also noted that there are established protocols for handling firearms on set.
