‘Rust’ Shooting: Alec Baldwin Indicted For Involuntary Manslaughter

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Alec Baldwin
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Alec Baldwin is facing a criminal trial over the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Hutchins tragically lost her life in 2021 due to an incident involving a prop gun the actor fired on the set of the film “Rust,” which also critically injured director Joel Silva.

The decision to formally charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter was announced by New Mexico prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, following a comprehensive review of the evidence presented to a grand jury.

Baldwin’s legal team, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, told reporters they “look forward” to their day in court.

Baldwin could potentially face a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison if he is convicted of the charges, although no trial date has been set at this time.

The lawyer representing Hutchins’ family, Gloria Allred, is eagerly anticipating the court date, more than two years after the cinematographer was killed the set of the indie Western film.

“We are looking forward to the criminal trial which will determine if he should be convicted for the untimely death of Halyna,” Allred said in a statement.

The actor settled a wrongful death suit with Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, in October 2022.

The family was compensated with insurance funds and allocated a portion of the film’s profits to the couple’s young son.

“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” Matthew Hutchins said after the civil case settled.

“All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

Baldwin was previously slapped with the same involuntary manslaughter charges in January 2023, by First Judicial District Attorney of New Mexico Mary Carmack-Altwies.

The actor pleaded not guilty to the charges and Carmack-Altwies went on a media spree about the case. After making her rounds, she stepped aside and a special prosecutor was appointed to continue in her place.

Baldwin has always maintained his innocence and insisted that the gun was “cold” while he was rehearsing the scene.

He also insisted that he did not ever pull the trigger, and that the revolver fired spontaneously when he pulled it out of the holster.

The initial charges against him were dropped in April, when the special prosecutor determined additional testing on the gun was required. Though they did make it clear that the charges could be refiled.

Firearm testing by Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona eventually determined that the trigger “had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver.’

According to NBC News, the refiling of charges shouldn’t be a surprise to Baldwin, who was reportedly discussing a plea deal with Morrissey and Lewis in October, prior to presenting their case to a grand jury.

In November, the outlet got a hold of videos that captured Baldwin handling prop guns and talking to crew members on the set of “Rust.”

In the seven minutes of footage, Baldwin was firing guns while rehearsing scenes in character.

However in two of the videos, he is seen maneuvering crew members out of his way in an attempt to keep them safe from gunfire.

After Hutchin’s death, Baldwin told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in December 2021, that “someone is responsible,” but noted “I know it’s not me.”

The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence last year, and is scheduled to begin her trial on February 21.

Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to the charges after accidentally loading a live round into Baldwin’s revolver, when it was supposed to only hold blanks.

First assistant director, David Halls, who checked and handed the weapon to Baldwin prior to the shooting, was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation after pleading no contest to unsafe handling of a firearm in March.

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