Quentin Tarantino blames Alec Baldwin for 'Rust' tragedy 'to some degree'

Quentin Tarantino believes Alec Baldwin is partially to blame for the tragic shooting on the set of Rust in 2021 that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Though the matter has since been legally put to rest, the filmmaker, 61, weighed in on the incident and the subsequent legal proceedings in a chat with Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast released on Sunday, August 25.

“The armourer —the person who handles the gun — is 90% responsible for everything that happens when it comes to that gun,” Tarantino noted.

But he added that “the actor is 10% responsible.”

He explained, “It’s a gun. You are a partner in the responsibility, to some degree.”

Baldwin was indicted after the gun he was holding during an October 2021 rehearsal discharged, fatally shooting Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. However, he has maintained that he did not pull the trigger and was unaware the gun contained live ammunition.

His trial, which began in July, ended with the dismissal of charges by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer due to prosecutorial misconduct, preventing Baldwin from being charged again.

Meanwhile, armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted and is currently appealing her 18-month sentence, while assistant director Dave Halls accepted a plea deal for negligent use of a deadly weapon.