Alec Baldwin: Manslaughter charges dropped over shooting

Actor Alec Baldwin’s criminal charges related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in October 2021 have been dropped. Baldwin had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, but the charges have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation.

The decision to drop the charges does not absolve Baldwin of criminal responsibility, and charges may be refiled in the future. The investigation into the incident will continue to be active and ongoing. The decision comes just before the trial was set to begin.

A lawyer for Mr Baldwin praised the move by prosecutors.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyer, Luke Nikas, told the BBC in a statement.

During a practice session for firing a gun on the set of the movie “Rust” near Santa Fe, Alec Baldwin fired a shot that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Baldwin denied pulling the trigger, but an FBI report concluded that the gun could not have fired without the trigger being pulled.

Baldwin was due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing in May, but the charges against him have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation. However, the charges against the film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter, remain unchanged. Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer expects her to be exonerated at the end of the legal process.

The LA Times reported that prosecutors had discovered that the gun used in the shooting had been modified with a new trigger that could have increased the chances of a misfire. However, the prosecutors’ statement released on Thursday did not mention the gun but stated that new information requires further investigation and forensic analysis. Alec Baldwin was accused of recklessly disregarding the safety of his colleagues, and his lawyer had previously criticized the initial decision to charge him as a “terrible miscarriage of justice”.

According to Variety magazine, Mr Baldwin is currently filming Rust on location in Montana.

Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, will be an executive producer. Baldwin last October reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family.

Rust Movie productions, which Baldwin is part of, said in February the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was shot has now been rewritten.

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