Actor Alec Baldwin has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of the film “Rust” in 2021. The incident occurred when Baldwin was handling a prop gun that contained a live round of ammunition, leading to the accidental discharge in rehearsal that resulted in Hutchins’ death.
The New Mexico grand jury indicted the 65-year-old on Friday, Jan. 19, after hearing evidence presented by special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis regarding the case. Now Baldwin is facing one count of involuntary manslaughter and faces up to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin faces two separate involuntary manslaughter charges in the indictment, but he can only be convicted of one.
The more severe charge, classified as a felony, accuses him of demonstrating “total disregard or indifference for the safety of others,” while the other alleges he was negligent in his use of a firearm.
This charge comes exactly one year after the case was first brought to court and subsequently dismissed in April 2023. The dropping of the case occurred due to the original district attorney trying the case did not present enough evidence to secure an indictment.
Helping the grand jury come to its conclusion was the testimony of several witnesses, including Ross Addiego and Lane Luper, crew members on “Rust”; Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician who worked on the case; Alexandria Hancock, a detective involved in the initial investigation; and Bryan Carpenter, a consultant on industry practices around firearms.
With the new team, Morrissey and Lewis, the victim’s family is hoping that they will see justice.
“We are looking forward to the criminal trial which will determine if he should be convicted for the untimely death of Halyna,” Gloria Allred, the lawyer for Hutchins’ family, said in a statement, according to NBC News.
One fan called the case “a sad state of affairs for everyone involved.”
“Even though Alec Baldwin settled with the family of #HalynaHutchins the New Mexico justice system said they’d pursue the case if facts & evidence warranted criminal charges. It’s a sad state of affairs for everyone involved with the production of #Rust,” the person tweeted.
Even though Alec Baldwin settled with the family of #HalynaHutchins the New Mexico justice system said they'd pursue the case if facts & evidence warranted criminal charges. It's a sad state of affairs for everyone involved with the production of #Rust. https://t.co/xgh3iFgG1F
— Mosenwrath RAB (@Mosenwrath) January 19, 2024
The person referenced the undisclosed settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Baldwin and others in 2022. Mr. Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, also released a statement, saying, “We look forward to our day in court.”
The defense’s position is that Baldwin is innocent and did not shoot Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021.
Doubling as an actor and producer for the Western film, Baldwin claims he was told that the gun did not have any live rounds in it and that the live ammunition was not supposed to be on set.
He also says he did not pull the trigger of the weapon that took the filmmaker’s life, despite a forensic report commissioned by the prosecution concluding that he must have done so. The report was influential in the authority’s decision to reopen the criminal case.
Alex Baldwin was just indicted by a grand jury in New Mexico for involuntary manslaughter during the ‘Rust’ shooting.
— Christian Garcia (@CricsConCarne) January 20, 2024
Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison.
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While Baldwin maintains his innocence, NBC News acquired multiple videos in November 2023 showing the Oscar-nominated actor handling at least one prop gun and engaging with crew members during the filming of scenes for the movie.
Five of the videos, which total all of seven minutes, show him “preparing for scenes, firing the guns and acting in character.”
Two out of the five videos depict Alec Baldwin attempting to reorganize crew members following his expressed concerns about their safety on the set.
During the setup of a scene featuring Baldwin’s character, an outlaw named Harland Rust, pulled out his old-fashioned revolver from a shoulder holster and aimed it at the camera. That is when the weapon unexpectedly discharged.
The bullet tragically struck and killed cinematographer Hutchins, while also injuring the movie’s director, Joel Souza.
Following the incident, investigators discovered five additional live rounds on the set. However, law enforcement officials have not proposed a theory regarding how these live rounds ended up there.
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, responsible for weapons and ammunition on set, is also facing an involuntary manslaughter charge. She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial next month.
Dave Halls, the movie’s first assistant director overseeing safety on set, entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor in the case, thus avoiding prison time.
It is said in October 2023 Baldwin and the special prosecutors had explored the possibility of him accepting a plea deal. That agreement reportedly was rescinded right before the prosecution announced it was presenting this case to a grand jury.
The movie “Rust” was finished after the initial case was dismissed. The producers decided its completion would be a tribute to Hutchins’ life.
