Alec Baldwin, the prominent actor, has been indicted on an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The incident occurred in 2021 on the set of the film “Rust” when a prop gun fired a live round of ammunition, resulting in Hutchins’ untimely demise. This development follows a New Mexico grand jury’s decision after reviewing evidence presented by special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis. Baldwin now faces one count of involuntary manslaughter. His attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, expressed their anticipation for the upcoming trial.
If convicted, the actor could potentially face up to 18 months of imprisonment, although a trial date has yet to be scheduled. In November, NBC News obtained exclusive video footage showing Baldwin handling a prop gun and interacting with crew members during the filming of “Rust.” The videos, totaling approximately seven minutes, depicted Baldwin preparing for scenes, firing guns, and fully immersing himself in character. Notably, concerns were raised about safety, leading Baldwin to request changes in the arrangement of crew members. However, production was halted after two weeks due to the tragic incident.
Previously, discussions between Baldwin and the special prosecutors regarding a potential plea deal took place in October. However, the deal was ultimately rescinded shortly before the announcement to present the case before a grand jury. It is worth mentioning that these latest charges come after the same New Mexico prosecutors dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin in April.
Throughout interviews with ABC News and CNN, Baldwin consistently emphasized that he did not pull the trigger and that the gun had been declared “cold” with no live ammunition by the assistant director, Dave Halls. In March, Halls pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and received a sentence of six months of unsupervised probation.
Baldwin expressed his belief that someone is responsible for the tragic incident, although he remains uncertain as to who that may be. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the entertainment correspondent for NBC News, Chloe Melas, reported that the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Her trial is set to commence on February 21, and she has pleaded not guilty.
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Author: Chloe Melas is an entertainment correspondent for NBC News.