A grand jury in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has indicted actor Alec Baldwin, 65, on involuntary manslaughter charges regarding the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of “Rust.” This follows an earlier dismissal of similar accusations against Baldwin in April 2023.
The unfortunate event happened in October 2021 during a scene rehearsal at a ranch near Santa Fe. Baldwin was holding a Colt .45 revolver that unintentionally went off, causing Hutchins’ death. Baldwin has consistently refuted pulling the trigger, asserting he was unaware of live ammunition in the gun and was informed it was “cold,” meaning safe.
Initial charges against Baldwin were dismissed after his defense raised questions about the Colt .45’s functionality during the incident. However, following further witness testimony and an expert examination of the weapon, the case was reactivated. A forensic report by Lucien and Michael Haag, experts assigned by special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, concluded the gun could only discharge by trigger pull, conflicting with Baldwin’s assertions.
If found guilty, Baldwin could face a prison sentence of up to 18 months. Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, are prepared to address the charges in court. Previously, Nikas described the decision to indict Baldwin as “misguided,” highlighting the incident’s tragic nature.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the film’s armorer, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. She stands accused of accidentally loading a live bullet into the gun, which was meant to contain only dummy rounds. The mystery of how live rounds got mixed with dummy ammunition on set remains unsolved. Gutierrez Reed’s trial is set to start on February 21.
Matthew Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins’ husband, filed a wrongful death lawsuit after the shooting. The case was settled in October 2022, with insurance payouts and a share of the film’s profits allocated to benefit the couple’s nine-year-old son. Despite the settlement, Hutchins’ attorney, Brian Panish, supports the manslaughter charges against Baldwin, expressing hope in the justice system’s ability to hold those who infract the law accountable.
The investigation also examined Baldwin’s role in managing the film set. The New Mexico division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Baldwin, despite being a producer on “Rust,” did not have control authority over the set’s safety standards.
In a related case, the film’s first assistant director, David Halls, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor gun charge in March and received six months of unsupervised probation.
The continuation of “Rust” and its subsequent filming in Montana are part of an ongoing initiative to honor Hutchins’ final work. Matthew Hutchins has stated he does not hold Baldwin accountable for the shooting, referring to it as a “terrible accident” and expressing appreciation for the support in memorializing his late wife’s work.
The indictment of Alec Baldwin is the latest development in a case that has ignited extensive discourse over safety on movie sets and the use of firearms in film production. As Baldwin potentially faces trial and with Gutierrez Reed’s trial forthcoming, the case continues to evolve.
