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Grand jury indicts actor Alec Baldwin in fatal "Rust" movie shooting
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A grand jury on Friday indicted actor Alec Baldwin on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 fatal shooting on the New Mexico set of the movie 鈥淩ust.鈥�
The indictment filed in 1st Judicial District Court in Santa Fe comes nine months after prosecutors dropped nearly identical charges against Baldwin, citing 鈥渘ew facts鈥� that demanded additional investigation.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the movie, was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set. The gun fired, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis announced their decision in April 2023 to dismiss the felony charge after 鈥渘ew facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis.鈥�
The prosecutors also wrote in a June 9 motion that Baldwin could still face criminal charges based on the results of a firearms test.
鈥淚f it is determined that the gun did not malfunction, charges against Mr. Baldwin will proceed,鈥� Morrissey and Lewis wrote in the motion filed in the case of Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the weapons supervisor on the film, who remains charged with involuntary manslaughter in the case.
A trial for Gutierrez Reed is scheduled to begin Feb. 21 in 1st Judicial District Court.
Prosecutors in August received a new firearms report that appeared to contradict a portion of Baldwin鈥檚 account of the shooting.
Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger of a prop Colt .45 revolver he was holding on Oct. 21, 2021, during a rehearsal on the 鈥淩ust鈥� movie set near Santa Fe.
Baldwin鈥檚 attorneys said Friday they will fight the new charges.
鈥淲e look forward to our day in court,鈥� Baldwin鈥檚 attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, told The Associated Press in an email.
Arizona firearms expert Lucien C. Haag, author of the firearms report, concluded that a trigger pull would have been required to fire the Italian-made Pietta .45 caliber prop revolver that killed Hutchins.
Haag wrote in the Aug. 2 report that 鈥渢his fatal incident was the consequence of the hammer being manually retracted to its fully rearward and cocked position, followed, at some point, by the pull or rearward depression of the trigger.鈥�
Baldwin has said that he pulled back the hammer but did not pull the trigger.
鈥淎lthough Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver,鈥� Haag wrote.
