ICHEOKU says "I didn't know the gun contained live bullets" is not a defense to killing a person. A gun in the hand of a person is presumed loaded and pointing it at another person is an assault on its own; and then pulling the trigger consummates the crime of battery. If the person struck by the fired bullet or projectile dies, then we are looking at the degree of homicide involved. There was no reason for Alec Baldwin to point the gun at Halyna Hutchins who was not acting in the movie; yet he pointed the gun at her, squeezed the trigger and fired off the shot which killed her. If there is any explanation at all for the acts preceding her death, it still does not and will not excuse killing her. That she was killed on a movie set is also not an excuse, as in make believe fantasy production, make believe plastic guns should have been used instead of the real deal.
There were three activities involved in this incident: he was handed a gun; he pointed the gun and he fired the gun. He was handed a gun but he was never told to point the gun at Halyna Hutchins nor to pull the trigger, firing off the projectile with which he killed her. The two subsequent actions following being handed a gun were entirely Alec Baldwin's and he is absolutely responsible for them. At minimum, he should be held accountable for his own portion of the actions that ultimately led the death of Halyna Hutchins. But the poor excuse of "I didn't know the gun contained live bullets" is akin to a driver of a vehicle who just ran over and killed a pedestrian on a crosswalk, claiming that the vehicle was given to him by a third party.
So, all the defenders and apologists of Alec Baldwin should fully appraise themselves of these vital factual issues triggered in this case; and understand that it is what Alec Baldwin did, and on his own volition, that is under the microscope here and not what an armorer did. The armorer only handed him a gun but what Alec Baldwin decided to do with the gun was entirely his own act. We should therefore be discussing his level of contribution to the death of Halyna Hutchins and not that someone handed him a gun and said "cold gun" is an excuse. If he did not point the gun at Halyna Hutchins or pulled the trigger, Halyna Hutchins would not have died, whether or not the gun was handed to him and irrespective of it being loaded.
ICHEOKU says is prepared to give him the benefit of doubt that he did not intend to kill her, but he killed her anyways. The absence of malice aforethought in what he did will only operate to reduce his culpability but not extinguish it nor exculpate him from all responsibility in her killing. Halyna Hutchins died because of Alec Baldwin's action, he killed her, period. Any other story being bandied out there regarding other surrounding circumstances of her death will only help to mitigate Alec Baldwin's jeopardy. Halyna Hutchins deserves justice; her death needs to be atoned for and only through the prosecution of her killer Alec Baldwin will she finally find some rest.
Killing her was not an accident because it was a targeted shot. The pointing and pulling of trigger were deliberate or intended; and it is a reasonable believe that any person who a gun was pointed at and the trigger squeezed could die as a result. It would have been different if the gun was being held in a barrel-down position when it went off and the bullet ricocheted on the floor and struck her. It would have been different if the gun was holstered when it went off and the bullet stuck her. It would have been different if the gun was pointed elsewhere at a different target or direction and it misfired and flying shrapnel struck her. It would have been different if Alec Baldwin did not pull the trigger at all. But he actively carried out all the processes involved in firing a gun at a target, he pointed at it and he shot at it; and no one directed him to do so.
Members of the filming crew were relaxing after lunch and have not resumed shooting any movie scene when Alec Baldwin decided to play John Wayne's styled Texas quick draw and shoot from the hip, while seated. At minimum Sante Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies should indict him with involuntary manslaughter and let the jury decide if his conduct were excusable. But to not prosecute him will be denying justice to his victims, both the dead and the survivor; and it will also add credence to the prevailing believe in America that American Justice System is only for the poor and the downtrodden. OJ Simpson got away with two murders, will Alec Baldwin also get away with an apparent involuntary manslaughter or even reckless endangerment. He pointed the gun and squeezed the trigger. But will she prosecute or will we see another 'Jussie Smollett type-free pass by Kim Foxx' due to pressure of woke culture political correctness?
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