Alec Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter for 2nd time over Halyna Hutchins’ fatal shooting on Rust set
A GRAND jury indicted Alec Baldwin on Friday on charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the 2021 shooting of Halyna Hutchins on a film set.
Baldwin, 65, was charged in the case in January 2023 but the charges were dropped three months later.
Hutchins, 42, was killed when the prop gun Baldwin used during the filming of Rust was discharged.
The shooting in La Cienega, New Mexico, also injured director Joel Souza.
“We look forward to our day in court,” said Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, in a statement.
The Colt .45 used in the shooting was sent for more forensic testing last summer by special prosecutors, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis.
The gun was reconstructed by experts Lucien and Michael Haag after it broke during FBI testing.
It was concluded that the Colt. 45 could have only been fired by the pull of the trigger.
“This fatal incident was the consequence of the hammer being manually retracted to its fully rearward and cocked position followed, at some point, by the pull or rearward depression of the trigger,” read the report.
“Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings, and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver.”
Baldwin – who is the main star in Rust and also served as the film’s producer – has said several times that he wasn’t responsible for Hutchins’ death.
He said he was told the gun didn’t have any live rounds and that there wasn’t supposed to be any live ammunition on the set.
Famed attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Hutchins’ parents and sister, said in a statement: “Our clients have always sought the truth about what happened on the day that Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot and killed on October 21, 2021.
“They continue to seek the truth in our civil lawsuit for them and they also would like there to be accountability in the criminal justice system.
“The grand jury has decided that there is sufficient evidence to indict Alec Baldwin on the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
“We are looking forward to the criminal trial which will determine if he should be convicted for the untimely death of Halyna, who was the daughter of our clients Olga Solovey and Anatolii Androsovych, the sister of Svetlana Zemko, and the co-worker of our client, Mamie Mitchell.”
PREVIOUS INDICTMENT
Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, filed a wrongful death lawsuit shortly after the shooting but it settled in October 2022.
The settlement provided insurance funds and a portion of the film’s profits to help the Hutchins’ son, who was nine when his mother was killed.
Matthew Hutchins has previously stated that he doesn’t blame Baldwin for the shooting.
“I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame (to the producers or Mr. Baldwin),” he said at the time of the settlement.
“All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”
However, when Baldwin was first charged with manslaughter, Hutchins’ attorney said the charges were justified.
“We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law,” said the attorney, Brian Panish, in a statement at the time.
In the first indictment, the initial prosecutors, Mary Carmack-Altwies and Andrea Reeb, held Baldwin responsible for pulling the rigger and for a series of managerial lapses that caused relaxed safety standards on set.
However, the New Mexico division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Baldwin – despite being a producer on the set – wasn’t in a position of management authority, and wasn’t culpable for the lack of oversight.
David Halls, the first assistant director, pleaded no contest last March on a misdemeanor gun charge and was given six months of unsupervised probation.
The movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was responsible for weapons and ammunition on the set.
She is also facing an involuntary manslaughter charge and pleaded not guilty – she is expected to stand trial in February.
The filming for Rust was completed, with additional filming in Montana, and is waiting to be distributed as a tribute to Hutchins.
