Actor Alec Baldwin has been indicted by a grand jury for involuntary manslaughter related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” in New Mexico. The indictment includes two fourth-degree felony charges: involuntary manslaughter due to negligent use of a firearm, and involuntary manslaughter lacking caution or circumspection.
Baldwin’s legal team, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, expressed their readiness to face the charges in court. This development comes after special prosecutors, who in October 2023 asserted Baldwin’s “criminal culpability,” decided to present the case to the grand jury.
The incident occurred in October 2021 during a rehearsal, where Baldwin discharged a gun, fatally wounding Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Although Baldwin initially faced two counts of involuntary manslaughter, these charges were dropped in April 2023. However, the investigation remained active.
Representatives for Hutchins’ family and the film’s script supervisor, both involved in civil lawsuits over the incident, stated their anticipation for the criminal trial to ascertain Baldwin’s accountability for Hutchins’ death.
Conviction on the charge could lead to a maximum of 18 months in prison. Jury selection for the trial is set to commence on February 21 in Santa Fe County, with the trial expected to begin on February 22 and last for two weeks.
