
· Tragedy struck the film set of "Rust" Thursday when star Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun in an accident that left the cinematographer dead and the director injured. An assistant director unwittingly handed Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set, court records released Friday show. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded. Legal experts find it unlikely that Alec Baldwin will face criminal charges due to unknowingly firing a live weapon that he was told was not loaded. However, due to the lengthy process of deeming the weapon as an unloaded prop, those involved in this process could face negligence or manslaughter charges depending on the magnitude of their involvement and/or knowledge. The production company for the movie may also be held liable for not following safety guidelines and might also face corporate negligence charges which typically only result in a large fine with no jail time. However, according to legal experts, law enforcement's investigation into the incident needs to yield more details before questions about liability and criminal charges can be answered with certainty. But here are some things they say to expect.
