Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ shooting trial live: Actor watches as cinematographer’s dying moments shown in court

Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson said in her opening statement that before the shooting, Alec Baldwin skipped safety checks and recklessly handled a revolver.

“The evidence will show that someone who played make believe with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety is the defendant, Alexander Baldwin,”Johnson said.

But defense attorney Alex Spiro replied that “these cardinal rules, they’re not cardinal rules on a movie set.”

“On a movie set, safety has to occur before a gun is placed in an actor’s hand,” Spiro told the jury.

He said the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was an “unspeakable tragedy” but that “ Alec Baldwin committed no crime; he was an actor, acting.”

He said Baldwin did exactly what actors always do on the set of the film “Rust,” where Hutchins was killed in October, 2021.

“I don’t have to tell you any more about this, because you’ve all seen gunfights in movies,” Spiro said.

Alec Baldwin, along with a Santa Fe court, watched footage of Halyna Hutchins’s final moments.

When authorities arrived on the scene, body cam footage showed how Hutchins moved her head from side to side while paramedics tried to stabilize her.

“Deep breath, Halyna. Deep breath,” a paramedic told Hutchins in the video.

Joel Souza, the director who survived his injuries after being shot could be heard screaming.

Baldwin remained expressionless as he watched and several jurors took notes.

His brother Stephen watched, but their sister Beth Keuchler and Baldwin’s wife did not.

The second witness to take the stand on Wednesday was Timoteo Benavidez, a retired lieutenant with the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office.

The prosecution’s questioning attempted to establish a chain of custody for the gun.

Benavidez told the court that he took the gun from the armorer and made sure there were no more rounds in it before placing it in the front seat of his patrol car – which he described as the “most secure” location he had at the time. He also took ammunition from the armorer’s cart and put it in his car.

The actor’s sister,  Beth Keuchler, and his brother, Stephen Baldwin, were both in court to support their brother on Wednesday.

An eyewitness told Entertainment Tonight that Stephen Baldwin was seen “consoling his sister, who was crying during opening statements.”

During the break, “Elizabeth and Stephen went out into the hallway, where Stephen continued to console his sister, who was visibly emotional, crying and wiping away tears.”

Baldwin then joined his family and hugged his sister, it was reported.

Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria Baldwin, was also in the courtroom for opening statements.

In video footage played in court, Baldwin is shown smoking a cigarette as he answered LeFleur’s questions and asked about the location of the two victims.

The deputy instructed Baldwin instructed not to speak to others. He said he had concerns about witnesses potentially tainting their statements about what happened.

But the prosecution pointed out that despite LeFleur’s instruction, Baldwin continued to talk about it.

Here are the essential things to know:

Santa Fe deputy Nicholas LeFleu’s being played in court.

It shows the chaos that unfolded on set after Hutchins and Souza were shot.

LeFleur says when he arrived, people were “running everywhere” and Souza is heard screaming out in pain.

Baldwin sits at the defense table taking notes while the video plays.

The prosecution calls the first witness to the stand – Santa Fe deputy Nicholas LeFleur.

He was the first officer at the scene after the fatal shooting on the set.

Opening statements in Baldwin’s trial have concluded and the court is now taking a morning recess.