Alec Baldwin Indicted For Manslaughter In 'Rust' Shooting

LOS ANGELES, CA — A grand jury in New Mexico indicted Alec Baldwin on Friday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film "Rust," according to court documents.

The new charge comes a year after a manslaughter case was brought against Baldwin in the death of Halyna Hutchins. Prosecutors dropped that case in April, the New York Times reported.

With Friday's indictment, prosecutors put the blame squarely on Baldwin.

"The above-named defendant did cause the death of Halyna Hutchins by an act committed with the total disregard or indifference for the safety of others and the act was such that an ordinary person would anticipate that death might occur under the circumstances, a fourth-degree felony," the indictment states.

Baldwin, a star and producer of "Rust," has maintained that he was not responsible for Hutchins' death. The cinematographer was fatally wounded by a bullet shot from a gun Baldwin was holding during a rehearsal, authorities said.

A bullet also wounded the director, Joel Souza.

Defense attorneys for Baldwin indicated they’ll fight the charges.

“We look forward to our day in court," said Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, defense attorneys for Baldwin, in an email.

The actor has said he was told the gun did not contain any live rounds. Live ammunition had also been banned on set — any guns used in the film were supposed to be loaded with inert ammunition, authorities said.

Both the decision to drop the earlier indictment and revive the manslaughter charges may be linked to forensic analysis of the gun.

The initial charges were dropped as Baldwin's attorney's questioned whether the prop gun that Baldwin was holding on the movie set during a rehearsal was functioning properly when it fired a live round that killed Hutchins and wounded film director Joel Souza.

Sources told the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal that the case against Baldwin was weakened by evidence showing that the gun the actor was holding had been modified, making it possible to misfire without the trigger being pulled.

Bladwin said that he didn't pull the trigger, though a forensic report commissioned by prosecutors determined that Baldwin must have pulled the trigger in order for it to go off. Those findings contributed to their decision to revive the case, the Times reported.

The "Rust" armorer — the member of the props department who managed firearms on set — also faces an involuntary manslaughter charge. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty to the charge and is set to stand for a trial expected to last two weeks in February, court documents show.

While the proceeding is shrouded in secrecy, 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.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.