By: Adam Beam 1/19/2024
Actor Alec Baldwin has been indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on involuntary manslaughter charges. The charges stem from the accidental shooting that occurred on the set of the Western film "Rust."
The shooting happened when Baldwin fired a prop gun during rehearsal, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
In April, special prosecutors dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges, but after an analysis of the weapon in question, the re-filing of charges began again. Baldwin alleges he pulled back the hammer but did not pull the trigger that led to the fatal shooting. An FBI analysis revealed that despite Baldwin's claims, their findings revealed the trigger would have had to be pulled to release the hammer of the gun.
Others involved in the film's production have had to answer legal claims in relation to the events of the October shooting. Weapon supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges in February, while assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest.
The film's production company also paid $100,000 in legal fines since the incident. "Rust" resumed production in Montana earlier in the year, with no release date set at this time. As of Friday afternoon, Baldwin has yet to comment on this latest indictment.
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