Alec Baldwin Faces Charges Over Deadly 'Rust' Film Shooting

Santa Fe District attorney announced the charges after more than year-long investigation.

Alec Baldwin's fate has been revealed in the case of his 2021 on-set film shooting which resulted in the fatality of a crew member.

Both Baldwin and prop armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed face two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Western drama film, Rust.

After a more than year-long investigation into the Oct. 21, 2021, incident, Santa Fe County district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced the charges Thursday, Jan. 19, per The Hollywood Reporter.

"After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the ‘Rust’ film crew," Carmack-Altwies said in a statement. "On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice."

In addition, assistant director David Halls signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. The terms include a suspended sentence and six months of probation.

The unfortunate mishap took place when an old-fashioned revolver being handled by Baldwin went off. "He was handed the gun by Halls and told that it did not contain live ammunition, but it discharged, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Five live rounds mixed in with dummy rounds were found on set following the shooting," according to the outlet.

Though Baldwin has adamantly maintained that he did not pull the trigger, an FBI forensics report found that there is no way the gun could have been fired without its trigger being pulled while cocked. How live rounds got onto set or loaded into the firearm in the first place, however, remains a mystery at this time.

“Someone is responsible, but I know it’s not me,” Baldwin told ABC News in a December 2021 interview.

Gutierrez-Reed was a central focus of the investigation, as she also handled the gun prior to the shooting and it was her responsibility to oversee all weapon use. As daughter of longtime Hollywood armorer Thell Reed, the production was only her second gig as head armorer.

Under New Mexico law, involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine, inclusive of a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a firearm.

Alternatively, the jury could also find the individuals involved guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act, which requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in Hutchins’ death. This charge includes a firearm enhancement, which carries an added penalty, and makes the crime punishable by a mandatory five year prison sentence.

“If any one of these three people—Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls—had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple,” Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor appointed by the district attorney to the case, said. “The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the ‘Rust’ film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”

Ammunitions supplier Seth Kenney, props master Sarah Zachry and Halls, who was the on-set safety coordinator and handled the gun before handing it to Baldwin, were also among those who could’ve been charged.

Baldwin's legal woes are still far from over, as he continues to face claims of assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence in a lawsuit from script supervisor Mamie Mitchell. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Whitaker found in November that there was “extreme and outrageous conduct on the part of Baldwin,” who “unexpectedly cocked and fired a loaded handgun” despite being aware of a disastrous safety culture on the set of Rust, per THR.

The actor filed a countersuit, noting, “This tragedy happened because live bullets were delivered to the set and loaded into the gun,” in the cross-complaint, where he said this was the fault of "negligence" on the part of the crew members.

Notably, Rust Movie Productions wasn’t charged despite being plagued by safety issues during filming. "The company allegedly shirked industrywide norms related to the use of guns by cutting corners to shoot the movie on a shoestring budget, according to suits against the producers of the movie from Hutchins and Mitchell," the publication notes.

A lawsuit filed against the entity by the victim's family also claimed the production companies and producers “cut corners” and “chose to hire the cheapest crew available,” specifically noting that they “knowingly hired a wholly unqualified armorer,” and required her to split time in a second role as assistant props master, per CNN.

In October, the family of Halyna Hutchins reached an undisclosed settlement with the accused parties in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the actor and others.

“We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed," Matthew Hutchins, widower of Halyna Hutchins and an executive producer on the film, said at the time.

Rust Movie Productions, LLC, through its attorney, Melina Spadone of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, noted of the agreement: “We are pleased the parties came together to resolve this matter, which, subject to court approval, marks an important step forward in celebrating Halyna’s life and honoring her work.”

The district attorney’s office is said to be formally filing charges with New Mexico’s First Judicial District Court before the end of the month, with a preliminary hearing to be scheduled within 60 days of the filing of charges.