Alec Baldwin finds himself once again facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with the tragic shooting incident that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film “Rust” in 2021. The indictment, presented by the grand jury in the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, asserts that Baldwin “did cause the death of Halyna Hutchins.” This development comes nine months after special prosecutors had previously dismissed a similar charge against the actor.
New Mexico special prosecutors took the case before a grand jury after receiving a fresh analysis of the gun involved in the shooting. The presentation to the grand jury spanned about a day and a half, and prosecutors opted not to respond to inquiries following the proceedings.
Baldwin’s defense team, comprised of attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, conveyed their intention to contest the charges. In an email to The Associated Press, they stated, “We look forward to our day in court.”
The revival of charges follows the dismissal of the initial involuntary manslaughter charge in April, with prosecutors citing the emergence of “new facts” necessitating further investigation and forensic analysis. The investigation into the incident remains active and ongoing.
The fatal incident occurred during a rehearsal for “Rust” in October 2021, where Baldwin, pointing a pistol, unintentionally discharged the firearm, resulting in the death of Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza. Baldwin, who also served as a producer on the film, maintained that the gun discharged accidentally, and he did not intentionally pull the trigger.
The recent analysis of the firearm, conducted by experts in ballistics and forensic testing, involved the use of replacement parts to reconstruct the gun after it had been damaged during FBI testing. The report concluded that the trigger must have been pulled or depressed based on the examination of the gun and markings on a spent cartridge.
Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona, leading the analysis, stated that despite Baldwin’s repeated denial of pulling the trigger, the evidence indicated that the trigger had to be pulled or depressed to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the revolver.
The weapons supervisor on the movie set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Her trial is scheduled to commence in February. Additionally, “Rust” assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls pleaded no contest to unsafe handling of a firearm last March and received a suspended sentence of six months of probation, agreeing to cooperate in the investigation.
The aftermath of the 2021 shooting prompted civil lawsuits, including wrongful death claims filed by Hutchins’ family members, alleging lax safety standards. Baldwin and other defendants contested these allegations. In 2022, Baldwin and the production company behind “Rust” reached a settlement with Hutchins’ family in their wrongful death lawsuit.
Responding to the latest development, attorney Gloria Allred, representing Hutchins’ parents and sister, expressed the family’s quest for truth and anticipation of the upcoming criminal trial. In a statement, she said, “Our clients have always sought the truth about what happened on the day that Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot and killed,” adding, “We are looking forward to the criminal trial which will determine if he should be convicted for the untimely death of Halyna.”