Alec Baldwin Faces New Charge in Fatal ‘Rust’ Movie Set Shooting

New York, NY - June 2016: Alec Baldwin attends 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards at Lincoln Center. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Alec Baldwin was indicted Friday by a grand jury in New Mexico, in connection with the fatal shooting on the set of his film Rust in 2021.

Baldwin has now been charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, according to NBC News.

Previous charges against the actor were dropped in April 2023, after his lawyers raised concerns about the handling of the case. Although prosecutors said the case could be revived.

The new charge was announced after special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis presented new evidence to the grand jury, following additional forensic testing on the gun at the center of the case.

Related StoryAlec Baldwin Expresses ‘Shock and Sadness’ Over Film Set Shooting Death of Cinematographer

Rust movie shooting left one person dead after Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun. (Credit: YouTube/abc7ny)
The New Mexico set of the film Rust (Credit: YouTube/abc7ny)

If convicted as charged, the 30 Rock and SNL alum faces up to 18 months in prison. A trial date will be announced later.

“We look forward to our day in court,” the actor’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said in a statement to the media.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed when a bullet discharged from a prop gun held by Baldwin on the New Mexico set of the Western in October 2021. The bullet also struck and injured director Joel Souza.

Baldwin, 65, is a producer on the film. He has maintained that he was told the gun was “cold,” meaning it had no live rounds inside.

Baldwin and the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, were charged with involuntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act in connection with the shooting.

Both pleaded not guilty in the case.

Attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed suggested others on set were to blame instead of the rookie armorer.

Gutierrez-Reed was originally scheduled to go on trial in December, but the case was pushed to February 2024. She faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

Assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to a charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon in exchange for a suspended sentence and six months probation in the case.

Filming on Rust was halted following the shooting, but later resumed.


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