Quentin Tarantino says Alec Baldwin is partly responsible for fatal Rust shooting

Quentin Tarantino has expressed his views on the fatal Rust shooting, suggesting that Alec Baldwin bears some responsibility for the incident. During an interview on the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher, the 61-year-old director, who has extensive experience with firearms on film sets, stated, "The armorer is 90% responsible for everything that happens when it comes to that gun, but the actor's 10% responsible. It's a gun. You are a partner in the responsibility, to some degree."

Tarantino's comments come in the wake of Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial being dismissed in July. The charges stemmed from an October 2021 incident on the set of the Western film Rust, where a gun held by Baldwin discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin, who has consistently maintained that he did not pull the trigger and was unaware the gun contained live ammunition, faced a potential 18-month jail sentence if convicted.

On the third day of the trial, Baldwin’s defense team argued that prosecutors had withheld evidence, leading Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to dismiss the charges with prejudice, meaning Baldwin cannot be charged again in connection to the shooting. Baldwin expressed relief on Instagram, thanking his supporters and noting, "You will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family."

The film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted in March and is currently serving an 18-month sentence, which she is appealing. Assistant director Dave Halls also took a plea deal for negligent use of a deadly weapon.

As Baldwin moves forward, he and his wife, Hilaria, are set to star in a new TLC reality series, The Baldwins, focusing on their family life.