Prosecutors file new charge against Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting

(NewsNation) — Prosecutors in New Mexico have indicted Alec Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter in connection with a shooting on the set of his movie “Rust.”

Baldwin had previously been charged in the shooting, which led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, but prosecutors dropped the charges before a trial.

The shooting happened after Baldwin allegedly fired a live weapon during a rehearsal on set instead of a prop weapon firing blanks.

Baldwin was an actor and producer on the film and was rehearsing a scene that involved drawing a weapon and pointing it toward the camera. Hutchins and director Joel Souza were watching from behind a monitor. The single round went through Hutchins, fatally wounding her, and into Souza, who was injured in the shoulder.

Baldwin claimed the gun discharged when he took it out of the holster and denied firing it while an FBI report stated it could only have fired if the trigger had been pulled.

In January 2023, involuntary manslaughter charges were filed against Baldwin and set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. The charges against Baldwin were dropped in April 2023 and Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against her.

There are reports “Rust” was dealing with crew disputes as well as allegations that firearms safety practices were not being followed properly on set, including failing to properly check and clear weapons before they were used in rehearsal or filming.