What charges could the Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ crew members face over accidental shooting: legal experts weigh in

The death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” may have been an accident, but it’s possible those involved with the incident could still face civil or legal ramifications.

Armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed placed the prop gun outside of the church set location on a cart with other prop guns due to coronavirus restrictions. The next person to handle it was assistant director Dave Halls, who handed it off to Baldwin, announcing that it was a "cold gun," a term used to indicate to those on-set that the firearm was not loaded and therefore safe to handle.

Both the armorer and assistant director were reportedly tasked with checking the gun to make sure it was unloaded. However, somehow a live round was loaded into the gun that went off when Baldwin pulled the trigger while rehearsing a scene. Furthermore, director Joel Souza, who was also injured in the incident when the shot hit him in the right shoulder, questioned why there was live ammunition on the set at all that day, according to the affidavit.