Alec Baldwin: Dismissed!

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

True Crime, News

3.9 • 7.6K Ratings

🗓️ 9 August 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Two people were shot on the set of Alec Baldwin's movie Rust.

Director of photography Halyna Hutchins died, and director Joel Souza was wounded. Reports say first assistant director David Halls picked up one of three prop guns set up by armorer Hannah Gutierrez and yelled, “cold gun.”

"Cold gun" is industry slang meaning the gun does not contain live rounds. Halls gave the gun to Baldwin, who used it to rehearse a scene. According to the search warrant, Baldwin aimed the weapon at the camera when he fired, striking Hutchins and Souza.

Reports suggest crew members used the weapon for target practice earlier that morning.

A judge dismissed charges against Baldwin, and the actor sued. Now a judge has tossed the case.

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Paul Szych – Former Police Commander; Author: “StopHimFromKillingThem” on Amazon Kindle; Twitter: @WorkplaceThreat; Screen Actors Guild-Eligible Actor
Domenic Romano – NY Corporate Lawyer and Entertainment Attorney, Romano Law
Dr. Shari Schwartz – Forensic Psychologist (Specializing in Capital Mitigation and Victim Advocacy); Author: “Criminal Behavior” and “Where Law and Psychology Intersect: Issues in Legal Psychology;” X: @TrialDoc”
Karen L. Smith – Forensic Expert, Lecturer at the University of Florida, Host of ‘Shattered Souls’ Podcast; Twitter: @KarensForensic
Dr. Michelle DuPre – Former Forensic Pathologist, Medical Examiner and Detective: Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Author: “Homicide Investigation Field Guide” & “Investigating Child Abuse Field Guide;” Forensic Consultant
Alexis Tereszcuk - CrimeOnline.com Investigative Reporter, Writer/Fact Checker, Lead Stories, X: @swimmie2009

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an IHeart podcast.
0:04.8	Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.
0:11.2	Just when you think the Alec Baldwin Rust shooting controversy is over, it's not.
0:19.4	In the last days, Alec Baldwin's lawsuit against New Mexico prosecutors is dismissed.
0:29.9	And that's right. Alec Baldwin actually sued prosecutors and others out of Santa Fe. But in the last days, a judge saw through Alex Baldwin's
0:40.8	meritless lawsuit and dismissed the case, claiming, quote, no significant action has been taken
0:47.8	in 180 or more days in connection to these claims. After getting his case dropped, that wasn't enough for Alec Baldwin.
0:57.8	Baldwin actually filed a lawsuit alleging prosecutors and investigators engaged in malicious
1:03.9	prosecution, abuse of process, intentional spiliation of evidence, and violation of his civil rights.
1:13.7	Whoa, wait a minute.
1:15.8	Helena Hutchins was shot dead and you pulled the trigger.
1:18.8	And now you're claiming your rights were violated, even though your case has been dropped.
1:24.7	I don't get it.
1:30.2	What do we know about the case?
1:36.4	Tragedy on the film set of a new Alec Baldwin movie and what police are calling a misfire of a prop gun in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The sheriff's office there has just confirmed it was
1:42.7	Baldwin who fired the prop gun that killed a 42-year-old female director of photography, Helena Hutchins.
1:52.0	The film's director, Joel Sousa, was also hurt.
1:55.0	This incident happened on the set of the Western Rust.
1:59.0	Now detectives are investigating what type of projectile discharged from this gun.
2:04.2	You were just hearing our friend Christine Johnson with CBS.
2:07.9	What really happened?
2:10.2	According to reports, the assistant yelled out cold gun just before the shooting, which means the gun was safe, that it was loaded with a blank.
	...

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