Prosecutors move to recharge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in ‘Rust’ shooting
Alec Baldwin speaks on the phone in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in Santa Fe, N.M., after he was questioned about a shooting on the set of the film "Rust" on the outskirts of Santa Fe, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza, officials said.
Prosecutors in New Mexico said Tuesday that they will attempt to recharge actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter after the actor accidentally shot and killed the cinematographer on the set of the film “Rust” in 2021, according to reports.
Charges were initially brought and then dropped earlier this year after prosecutors became aware of new evidence in the death of Halyna Hutchins and questioned the criminal charges. The officials have also continued to pursue an involuntary manslaughter charge against the set’s armorer, who was responsible for the prop weapon that was erroneously loaded with live ammunition.
They will present evidence against Baldwin to a grand jury within the next two months, noting that “additional facts” have come to light in shooting on the set of the western movie outside Santa Fe, The Associated Press reported.
“It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution,” Baldwin attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement to NBC News. “We will answer any charges in court.”
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Baldwin has continuously denied responsibility for the accidental shooting, saying he did not pull the trigger when the prop gun fired. Prosecutors initially theorized that the gun may have been modified and malfunctioned, but a report released in August found that it was not.
The case has been racked with struggles over evidence and changes to the prosecutorial team. Investigations related to the case have resulted in fines for the movie production company and a no-contest plea from the film’s assistant director.
Hutchins’s family sued Baldwin in civil court earlier this year. He had previously settled a suit from the late cinematographer’s husband.
In addition to the death of the Hutchins, the shooting also resulted in the injury of its director.
“Rust” resumed filming earlier this year in Montana.