Actor Alec Baldwin, 65, has been indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film “Rust” in New Mexico.
The indictment, filed by a grand jury in Santa Fe, New Mexico, comes after a previous dismissal of similar charges against Baldwin in April 2023.
The incident occurred in October 2021 during the rehearsal of a scene at a ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin was handling a Colt .45 revolver which unexpectedly discharged, killing Hutchins. Baldwin has consistently denied pulling the trigger, claiming he was unaware the gun contained live ammunition and had been told it was “cold,” or safe.
The initial charges against Baldwin were dropped after his defense team questioned the functionality of the Colt .45 during the incident. However, the case was reopened following additional witness testimony and expert analysis of the weapon. 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 been fired by pulling the trigger. This contradicts Baldwin’s claims of not pulling the trigger.
If convicted, Baldwin faces a potential sentence of up to 18 months in prison. Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, have expressed readiness to respond to the charges in court. Nikas previously described the decision to charge Baldwin as “misguided,” emphasizing the tragic nature of the incident.
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, is also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She is accused of mistakenly loading a live bullet into the gun, which was supposed to be loaded with dummy rounds only. The confusion around how live ammunition became mixed with dummy rounds on the set remains unresolved. Gutierrez Reed’s trial is scheduled to begin on February 21.
Matthew Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins’ widower, filed a wrongful death lawsuit after the shooting, which was settled in October 2022. The settlement included insurance funds and a portion of the film’s profits to benefit the couple’s son, who was nine years old at the time of his mother’s death.
Despite the settlement, Hutchins’ attorney, Brian Panish, supported the manslaughter charges against Baldwin, stating they were warranted and expressing hope for the justice system to hold accountable those who break the law.
The investigation into the shooting also scrutinized Baldwin’s role in the management of the film set. The New Mexico division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration concluded that Baldwin, despite being a producer on “Rust,” did not have management authority over the set’s safety standards.
In a related legal case, David Halls, the movie’s first assistant director, pleaded no contest in March to a misdemeanor gun charge. He received six months of unsupervised probation.
The completion of “Rust” and its subsequent filming in Montana represent an ongoing effort to honor Hutchins’ final work. Matthew Hutchins has indicated that he does not hold Baldwin responsible for the shooting, referring to it as a “terrible accident” and expressing gratitude for the support in commemorating his late wife’s work.
Alec Baldwin’s indictment marks the latest development in a case that has sparked widespread debate over on-set safety and the use of firearms in film production. With Baldwin facing a potential trial and Gutierrez Reed’s trial impending, the case continues to unfold.