Actor Alec Baldwin made headlines when a fatal shooting occurred on set of the western film Rust in 2021. Now, several years later, it’s been revealed that Alec Baldwin has been indicted by a grand jury on an involuntary manslaughter charge.
As noted via AP News, “special prosecutors brought the case before a grand jury in Santa Fe this week, months after receiving a new analysis of the gun that was used. They declined to answer questions after spending about a day and a half presenting their case to the grand jury.” Nevertheless, the publication adds that “defense attorneys for Baldwin indicated they’ll fight the charges.”
As shared via Baldwin’s defense attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro in an email:
“We look forward to our day in court.”
Many of the details from the proceeding are being kept under wraps. Though it’s reported that “two of the witnesses seen at the courthouse included crew members – one who was present when the fatal shot was fired and another who had walked off the set the day before due to safety concerns.”
It’s added that, as a result of this case being revived, it has once again “put Baldwin in legal trouble and created the possibility of prison time for an actor who has been a TV and movie mainstay for nearly 40 years.”
The involuntary manslaughter charge was previously dismissed in April 2023. This is because they believe the gun could have been modified before it went off in Baldwin’s hand, killing the film’s DP, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring its director, Joel Souza.
In addition to Baldwin, the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering in the case, and she is set to go to trial in February. Meanwhile, the film’s assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls pleaded no content to unsafe handling of a firearm last March and faced a suspended sentence of six months in probation.
The production of Rust previously resumed last year in Montana. As the publication notes, this only began “under an agreement with the cinematographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, that made him an executive producer.”
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding Alec Baldwin and his recent legal troubles following the indictment from the grand jury as we have them.