Alec Baldwin Faces Involuntary Manslaughter Charge in Cinematographer's Fatal Shooting After New Gun Analysis
SANTA FE, N.M. — Alec Baldwin has been indicted by a grand jury on an involuntary manslaughter charge related to the 2021 fatal shooting during a rehearsal on a movie set in New Mexico. This development revives a case against the actor that had been inactive.
Special prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury in Santa Fe after receiving a new analysis of the gun used in the incident. Following about a day and a half of presenting their case, they opted not to answer questions.
Baldwin's defense attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, stated in an email that they plan to contest the charge. "We look forward to our day in court."
While the proceedings remain secretive, two witnesses seen at the courthouse included crew members — one present during the fatal shot and another who had left the set a day earlier due to safety concerns.
In October 2021, during a rehearsal for the Western movie "Rust," Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer, unintentionally discharged a gun pointed at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, resulting in her death and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin maintained he pulled back the hammer, not the trigger.
The charge has placed Baldwin back in legal trouble and raises the prospect of prison time for the actor with a career spanning nearly 40 years, including roles in major productions like "The Hunt for Red October," "The Departed," and "30 Rock."
The indictment offers prosecutors two standards for pursuing involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin in Hutchins' death — one based on negligent use of a firearm and the other on felony misconduct "with total disregard or indifference for the safety of others."
Several civil lawsuits seeking compensation from Baldwin and "Rust" producers have been put on hold by judges after prosecutors decided to present their case to a grand jury.
Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred, representing the slain cinematographer's family, expressed her clients' quest for truth and anticipation of Baldwin's trial.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani highlighted that prosecutors will need more than ballistics evidence to establish Baldwin's broader responsibility in handling the gun on set.
Special prosecutors previously dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in April, citing the possibility of gun modification and malfunction. They reconsidered after receiving a new analysis of the gun.
The recent analysis, led by Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona, used replacement parts to reassemble the gun fired by Baldwin. The report concluded that the trigger had to be pulled or depressed, contrary to Baldwin's denials.
The weapons supervisor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Her trial is scheduled for February. "Rust" assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to unsafe firearm handling and received probation.
An earlier FBI report found that the gun could go off without pulling the trigger if force was applied to an uncocked hammer. The Rust Movie Productions company paid a $100,000 fine for safety protocol violations.
Filming of "Rust" resumed in Montana last year under an agreement with the cinematographer's widower, Matthew Hutchins, who became an executive producer
