A prosecutor in the United States says criminal charges are possible in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a film set involving popular actor Alec Baldwin.
The Hollywood actor accidentally shot and killed Halyna Hutchins while working on the Western movie Rust in New Mexico.
Santa Fe County district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told the local media that they had not “ruled out anything in the investigation”, including criminal charges.
She added: “Everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table.”
Carmack-Altwies said the investigation was focusing on what kind of round was in the gun that killed Hutchins. She said another key question investigators were asking was another key question.
She said: “There were an enormous amount of bullets on this set and we need to find out what kinds they were.”
According to Carmack-Altwies, it could be months before the investigation is complete.
“It’s probably weeks, if not months, of follow-up investigation that we’re going to need to get to the point of charging,” she said.
The prosecutor also disputed reports the weapon was a “prop gun” as it has been named in court documents. She said it was an “antique-era appropriate gun.”
Authorities previously said Baldwin had been told the gun did not contain live ammunition before he started rehearsing with the weapon. An assistant director innocently handed Baldwin, 63, a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the shooting, according to court documents.
Baldwin has since said he is heartbroken by the incident.
Hutchins was killed on Thursday in an incident that also left Rust director Joel Souza injured.