Alec Baldwin formally charged with involuntary manslaughter over ‘Rust’ shooting

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Alec Baldwin has officially been charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies formally filed charges against the actor on Tuesday, along with the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who oversaw the weapons on set.

The pair were both charged with involuntary manslaughter and could face up to 18 months in prison, plus a potential five-year enhancement for the use of a firearm.

“On the day of the shooting alone, evidence shows that no less than a dozen acts, or omissions of recklessness, occurred in the short time prior to lunch and the time of the shooting, and this does not include the reckless handling of the firearm by Baldwin,” the probable cause statement filed against Baldwin alleges, in part, per documents obtained by New Mexico’s KRQE News.

“By act or omission or failure to act in his position as a producer directly contributed and/or failed to mitigate numerous reckless and dangerous actions during a very short time period.”

Earlier Tuesday, Heather Brewer, a spokesperson for the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement that “the evidence and the facts” speak for themselves.

“The District Attorney and the special prosecutor are fully focused on securing justice for Halyna Hutchins,” Brewer added.

Halyna was fatally shot on set of the “Rust” film at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Sante Fe in October 2021, after Baldwin’s prop gun fired a live round, hitting her in the chest. She was 42.

The Western film’s director, Joel Souza, was also injured, but the DA previously stated that no charges would be filed in relation to his wounds.

He added, “We will fight these charges, and we will win.”

Meanwhile, Halyna’s widower, Matt Hutchins, took to Twitter at the time to thank Carmack-Altwies for the “thorough investigation” in “determining that charges for involuntary manslaughter are warranted” for his wife’s death.

“It is a comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law,” he added. “We support the charges, will fully cooperate with this prosecution, and fervently hope the justice system works to protect the public and hold accountable those who break the law.”

As previously reported, Baldwin settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the Hutchins family in late 2022, before he filed a negligence suit against four crew members.

The lawsuit – which named Gutierrez Reed, among other “Rust” employees – alleged that they failed to maintain safety on set by handing him the loaded gun.

“This tragedy happened because live bullets were delivered to the set and loaded into the gun,” Baldwin’s lawyer said in the filing.

Baldwin previously denied any responsibility for Halyna’s death and even insisted that he did not pull the trigger of the prop gun on set.

The actor, who shares seven children with wife Hilaria Baldwin, has, however, admitted that his life “may never be the same” following the fatal shooting.

The couple have been putting up a united front since the charges were announced, with Hilaria revealing it’s been an “emotional time” for her family, on her podcast this week.

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