Criminal charges against Alec Baldwin have been dropped over the October 2021 fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. He was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the shooting during the filming of Rust in New Mexico.
Hutchins was killed by a live bullet fired from a prop gun that was being used by Baldwin on the set. Baldwin had been practicing cross-drawing the revolver during a rehearsal when it went off, fatally hitting Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The Ukraine-born cinematographer was 42 years old.
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“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.
This comes less than two weeks before the trial was set to begin. On Thursday, Baldwin returned to the set of Rust in Montana for the first day of shooting. Principal photography started around a year and a half after the production was suspended due to Hutchins’ on-set death.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer is also facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The actor was accused of showing a “reckless” disregard for his colleagues’ safety, according to prosecutors. Baldwin denied pulling the trigger. Both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed had pleaded not guilty.
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According to a report by Deadline, special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis are likely to file paperwork soon to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter claims against Baldwin without prejudice. They are set to investigate further into what happened that day on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set near Santa Fe, this case could be resurrected in the future.
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Previously, Baldwin’s lawyer, Nikas called the initial decision to charge his client “a terrible miscarriage of justice”.
If convicted, the Emmy-award-winning actor could have faced up to 18 months in prison.
