Prosecutors in ‘Rust’ shooting plan to recharge Alec Baldwin

SANTA FE, N.M. – Special prosecutors overseeing the deadly “Rust” movie set shooting plan to recharge actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter. 

NBC News reports prosecutors plan to bring the case before a grand jury by mid-November.

In a statement, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey told NBC News:

“We believe that based on our lengthy and detailed investigation that it is appropriate for a grand jury in New Mexico to make a decision on whether the case should proceed.”

BACKGROUND

In October 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed during a rehearsal on the set of the movie Rust. 

A live round was loaded into the gun that was used as a prop, and the gun fired as Baldwin drew it from his holster. 

Baldwin repeatedly denied ever pulling the trigger. But after a lengthy investigation, prosecutors filed charges in January of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin, and the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. 

The case was handed over to a new team of special prosecutors in March after Baldwin argued it was against the state Constitution for prosecutor Andrea Reeb to oversee the case while serving in our Legislature.

The new prosecutors dropped charges against Baldwin saying more testing was needed on the gun to rule out a malfunction. 

A report shows the testing was completed in August. It agreed with an earlier FBI report which said the gun could not fire without someone pulling the trigger. 

Writers of the report also noted this rehearsal video shows Baldwin place his finger, on or near the trigger multiple times as he draws the gun. 

Following NBC’s report, lawyers for Baldwin released a statement saying in part:

“It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution.  we will answer any charges in court.”

A trial for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is set to begin in late February. 

Prosecutors added a tampering with evidence charge against her back in August. They claim she tried to cover up evidence of drug use. 

She denies the charges. Her lawyers say Gutierrez-Reed isn’t to blame because cost-cutting measures kept her from doing her job.

Contracts and memos between Baldwin and the producers of Rust will be part of this case. 

Rust Productions was ordered this month to hand over those documents by Oct. 20.