Prosecutors Seek To Recharge Alec Baldwin In Involuntary Manslaughter Case After ‘Additional Facts’ Surface

On Tuesday, local prosecutors in New Mexico announced their attempt to recharge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter after he shot and killed the cinematographer on the set of Rust in 2021.

Initial charges against the actor were dropped earlier this year after new evidence came to light.

Now, prosecutors are preparing to present a case against Baldwin to a grand jury within the next couple of months, noting “additional facts” that have recently surfaced.

Baldwin has continued to deny his part in the shooting, claiming that he did not pull the trigger that set off the prop gun. Prosecutors originally suspected that the gun may have malfunctioned while on set, but an August report refuted this belief.

Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said in a statement: “It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court.”

In January, Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.

The Santa Fe District Attorney filed the charges against the actor as well as the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. The DA alleged that both acted with criminal negligence and that Baldwin wasn’t properly trained to handle the weapon. The probable cause statement claims the actor was “distracted” and on his phone throughout the weapon training session.

“Baldwin’s deviation from known standards, practice and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins,” the statement read.

Baldwin fired the fatal shot while preparing to film a scene at a ranch near Santa Fe in October 2021. The Colt .45, which was loaded by Gutierrez-Reed, was supposed to contain only dummy rounds. Hutchins was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque and pronounced dead the same day. The shot also wounded the film’s director, Joel Souza.