Alec Baldwin Charged Again With Involuntary Manslaughter in ‘Rust’ Shooting Incident

Alec Baldwin, the American actor known for his roles in television and film, has been charged once again with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting incident on the set of the movie ‘Rust‘ in 2021. The charges were initially dropped in April, but the prosecution had hinted that Baldwin could still face potential further charges.

The tragic incident occurred on October 21, 2021, during the filming of the western movie ‘Rust’ in New Mexico. Baldwin, holding what he believed to be a firearm containing blank rounds, fired a shot that tragically killed the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injured the film’s director, Joel Souza.

Following the incident, calls were made in Hollywood to ban the use of real firearms on film sets, highlighting the seriousness and rarity of such accidents.

Alec Baldwin, 65 years old, has consistently maintained his innocence from the beginning, claiming that he was assured the firearm was safe and denying any intentional trigger pull. However, the investigation has faced multiple challenges, and the prosecution has been unable to definitively determine whether the Colt. 45 held by Baldwin could have discharged on its own or not.

In response to the new charges, Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, released a statement expressing their anticipation of their court appearance.

The decision to charge Baldwin again for involuntary manslaughter has not been explained by the prosecutor in their statement. However, according to Variety magazine, a new examination of the weapon involved determined that it could only have discharged through direct trigger pressure. The firearm had been damaged during previous testing conducted by the FBI, resulting in conflicting theories.

This is not the first time Baldwin has faced these charges. The initial indictment for involuntary manslaughter was dropped in April after new evidence suggested that the weapon had been altered before being delivered to the film production team, thereby increasing the likelihood of an accidental discharge. However, the investigation remained open, and new charges have now been brought against Baldwin.

The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is also accused of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the incident, and her trial is set to begin on February 21.

The initial investigation concluded that Gutierrez-Reed had improperly loaded live ammunition into the firearm used by Alec Baldwin instead of dummy rounds. The source of the live ammunition on the set, where only blank rounds are typically allowed, has never been determined.

The production of ‘Rust’ officially resumed in Montana in March, with Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, serving as an executive producer. Matthew had previously dropped his civil lawsuit against Baldwin in late 2022, reaching a settlement whose terms were not disclosed. He referred to his wife’s death as a ‘terrible accident.’

However, Halyna Hutchins’ Ukrainian parents and sister are still pursuing damages from Alec Baldwin through an ongoing civil lawsuit.