Alec Baldwin has been indicted with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the film set for Rust — eight months after the charges were first dropped. On Friday, Baldwin was indicted for a second time for involuntary manslaughter by a New Mexico grand jury, as prosecutors once again seek to hold the actor accountable for the on-set death of Hutchins. Baldwin was rehearsing on the Rust movie set with a gun that was not supposed to contain live ammunition when it suddenly fired a live round, killing the film’s cinematographer Hutchins and injuring the western film’s director Joel Souza. Baldwin was initially charged in the case in January 2023. But the charges were dropped in April after the actor’s defense team raised questions about whether his Colt .45-caliber pistol was functioning properly when it fired. At the time, new evidence had come to light that revealed that the revolver could have been fired without Baldwin pulling the trigger. Alec Baldwin is Charged Again However, in October, reports circulated that prosecutors in Santa Fe, New Mexico intended to recharge Baldwin.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said that the move followed results of an independent forensic test that found Baldwin had to have pulled the trigger of a revolver he was rehearsing with for it to fire the live round that killed Hutchins and wounded Souza. The finding was the same as a previous FBI test on the firearm. And, on Friday, Baldwin was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on two charges of involuntary manslaughter. The first involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin is described in court documents as “negligent use of a firearm” and the second as involuntary manslaughter without due caution or circumspection, which is detailed as “an act committed with the total disregard or indifference to the safety of others.” Both are fourth-degree felonies. “We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro say in a statement to Variety. Baldwin has long maintained that he should not be held responsible for the shooting. He told authorities and reporters that he remembers pulling back the hammer of the gun, but not the trigger. Image credits: Feature photo licensed via Depositphotos.
