Alec Baldwin is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the unfortunate death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
According to BBC News, a grand jury in New Mexico has indicted the actor with one count of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the tragic shooting incident that occurred on the set of the film Rust in October 2021.
Baldwin has previously said that he feels he is not responsible for Hutchins’ death. Credit: MEGA / Getty
On Friday, January 19, the decision to indict the 65-year-old actor was revealed. This followed a presentation of evidence by special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis to a grand jury in New Mexico.
According to CBS News, Alec Baldwin now potentially faces a sentence of up to 18 months in prison.
In response to the decision, the actor’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, issued a statement saying, “We look forward to our day in court.”
Earlier charges against the Emmy award-winning actor were dropped in April. However, local prosecutors reevaluated the case in October, citing “additional facts,” and decided that the matter should be presented to a grand jury.
In April, production for Alec Baldwin’s western movie resumed at Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, marking a return to filming a year and a half after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins tragically lost her life in a fatal shooting on set.
In October 2021, the 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins tragically lost her life when a prop gun held by Alec Baldwin discharged a live round. The incident also resulted in injuries to director Joel Souza, who fortunately survived.
Halyna Hutchins was killed while working on the Rust movie. Credit: Fred Hayes / Stringer / Getty
Following the tragic incident, Alec Baldwin initially faced two counts of involuntary manslaughter. However, in April, it was reported that all criminal charges against him were dropped. Subsequently, NBC News disclosed in October that New Mexico prosecutors were making efforts to reintroduce charges against the actor in connection with the shooting.
In October, in response to the prosecutors’ attempt to reintroduce charges against Baldwin, his lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, issued a statement, expressing, “It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court.”
After the resumption of filming on the movie, Halyna Hutchins’ husband served as an executive producer on the project. As part of a settlement reached with Alec Baldwin, he agreed for the completion of the movie.
In May, Alec Baldwin confirmed on his Instagram that production for the movie had concluded. He shared a selfie showcasing his clean-shaven face with the caption: “God, it felt good to shave off that beard….”
In November, previously unreleased footage was obtained and shared by NBC News, revealing scenes of Alec Baldwin performing for the movie.
At a certain moment in the video, Baldwin can be heard instructing a crew member off-camera: “If I’m going to aim and shoot correctly, would you prefer to be on the opposite side of the camera? I don’t want to point the gun in your direction.”
NBC News verified that it acquired approximately seven minutes of footage, distributed among five distinct videos.
In two of the recordings, Baldwin can be heard expressing apprehensions about the safety of the crew and making efforts to reposition them, ensuring that he does not have to aim the prop gun in their direction.
The recording was purportedly captured just days before the tragic death of Hutchins and marks the initial release of footage depicting Baldwin handling a prop gun on the New Mexico set.
Baldwin has previously asserted that he does not consider himself responsible for Hutchins’ death and maintains that he did not pull the trigger.
