Alec Baldwin stands to face a set of fresh charges from New Mexico prosecutors for the untimely death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the 2021 film Rust. The cinematographer had been fatally shot with a prop gun on the set of the film. Baldwin has categorically denied pulling the trigger in multiple interviews.
The case will be brought before a grand jury in November, sources close to the matter have said. The charges that were previously levied at the actor had been dropped in April 2023. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, to which she has similarly pleaded not guilty. Her case is to go to trial in February 2024.
Halyna Hutchins was shot in the set of Rust
In October of 2021, while a shoot for the film Rust was taking place in New Mexico, a prop revolver discharged live rounds that fatally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and gravely injured director Joel Souza. The gun was being handled by Alec Baldwin when the weapon was fired.
Several concerns about the set and its armorers came to light post the incident. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were charged with 2 counts of manslaughter.
Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty to his charges, as was the case with Gutierrez-Reed. In April, the charges against Baldwin were dropped in light of evidence that suggested that the gun was modified, which might have caused a misfire. Upon analysis, gun analysts concluded that no detectable modifications had been made to the gun.
The grand jury will review the case in November
When the charges were dropped in April, prosecuting attorneys Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis stated that “charges may be refiled” against Baldwin. In light of the analysis of the firearms involved in the incident, Baldwin might face renewed charges of involuntary manslaughter. Given that the results of the analysis were received in August, it is quite likely that Baldwin might be involved in the case again.
Throughout the case, several concerning issues were reported to the public when it came to gun safety on the set of the film. Given that Baldwin also serves as a producer on the film, fans were outraged when the decision was made to continue filming once Baldwin had settled with Hutchins’s family. Further, the case as a whole has opened up a series of conversations about the safety of personnel involved in the film industry.
Source: NME
