Alec Baldwin, the 65-year-old actor, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter following the 2021 shooting incident on the set of “Rust,” a western film in New Mexico, which led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
This indictment by a grand jury in Santa Fe, New Mexico, comes after charges of a similar nature against Baldwin were previously dismissed in April 2023.
The incident took place in October 2021 during a scene rehearsal at a ranch near Santa Fe. Baldwin had been handling a Colt .45 revolver when it unexpectedly discharged, resulting in Hutchins’ death. Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger and was under the impression that the gun, which he was told was “cold,” or safe, did not contain live ammunition.
The original charges against Baldwin were dropped after his defense team raised questions about the Colt .45’s functionality during the incident. However, the case was revisited after additional witness testimonies and expert analysis of the weapon came to light. A forensic report by Lucien and Michael Haag, experts appointed by special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, concluded that the gun could only have discharged by trigger pull, which contradicts Baldwin’s assertion of not pulling the trigger.
If found guilty, Baldwin could face up to 18 months in prison. Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, have stated their preparedness to defend the charges in court. Nikas has previously referred to the decision to indict Baldwin as “misguided,” highlighting the tragedy of the incident.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the film’s armorer, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She is alleged to have mistakenly loaded a live bullet into the gun, which was meant to be loaded with dummy rounds only. The question of how live ammunition got mixed with dummy rounds on the set remains unanswered. Gutierrez Reed’s trial is set to start on February 21.
Matthew Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins’ widower, filed a wrongful death lawsuit following the shooting, which was settled in October 2022. The settlement comprised insurance funds and a part of the film’s profits to provide for the couple’s son, who was nine years old at the time of his mother’s death.
While the settlement has been reached, Hutchins’ lawyer, Brian Panish, has backed the manslaughter charges against Baldwin, calling them justified and expressing hope that the justice system will hold those who break the law accountable.
The investigation into the shooting also looked into Baldwin’s role in managing the film set. The New Mexico division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that Baldwin, despite being a producer on “Rust,” did not have control over the set’s safety standards.
In a related case, David Halls, the film’s first assistant director, pleaded no contest in March to a misdemeanor gun charge. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation.
The continuation of “Rust” and its subsequent filming in Montana represent ongoing efforts to pay tribute to Hutchins’ final work. Matthew Hutchins has stated that he does not blame Baldwin for the shooting, referring to it as a “terrible accident” and expressing gratitude for the support in honoring his late wife’s work.
The indictment of Alec Baldwin marks a new development in a case that has ignited a broad discussion about on-set safety and the use of firearms in movie production. With Baldwin potentially facing trial and Gutierrez Reed’s trial about to begin, the case continues to evolve.
