Alec Baldwin faces charges of involuntary manslaughter following ‘Rust’ shooting

Alec Baldwin is set to face charges with a count of involuntary manslaughter after a crew member died on set in October 2021.

A grand jury in New Mexico (where the movie was filmed) indicted the actor today (January 19) after initial charges were dismissed in April.

The case was brought again before a jury in Santa Fe, reportedly after prosecutors received an updated analysis of the gun used in the incident, following further forensic testing.

According to the BBC, attorneys for Baldwin have said: “We look forward to our day in court.”

Baldwin was the co-producer and lead actor on a Western movie named Rust, which was in production just outside Santa Fe in October 2021. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed after a bullet fired from a prop gun used by Baldwin, also wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has maintained that he only drew back the hammer of the pistol, not pulling the trigger. As per the BBC, special prosecutors in New Mexico have found that the weapon analysis concluded it couldn’t have been fired without the trigger being pulled.

He was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the charges were dropped in April after evidence suggested the gun could have been modified, potentially causing malfunction.

The film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was charged in January 2023 with evidence tampering and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Her trial is scheduled to take place on February 21 2024.

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