New "Rust" shooting criminal charges filed against Alec Baldwin for incident that killed Halyna Hutchins
Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust," according to court documents filed on Friday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These are new charges filed after earlier charges against Baldwin were dropped in April.
Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey filed the felony charges based on additional testimony given to the grand jury from seven witnesses listed in the indictment.
Prosecutors said in October that they were calling a grand jury to look into new evidence and would seek to re-charge Baldwin. They said that "additional facts" had come to light about the fatal shooting that occurred during filming on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021.
Baldwin, a coproducer as well as star of the film, was pointing a gun towards Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun went off, killing her. Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the shooting. Baldwin has said he was told that the gun was "cold," or unloaded, and that he did not pull the trigger.
"We look forward to our day in court," said Baldwin's attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, in a statement Friday.
Both Baldwin and the armorer on set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, were charged with manslaughter in January 2023 following a lengthy investigation. Gutierrez-Reed is slated to go to trial in February.
Prosecutors dropped Baldwin's charges in April, saying at the time, "This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled."
Friday's charges came after prosecutors received new analysis of the weapon from experts in ballistics and forensic testing, the Associated Press reported.
Baldwin and other "Rust" producers are also facing several civil lawsuits related to the shooting.
Production on the film resumed last spring in Montana, and wrapped up in May.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
