Alec Baldwin has once again been charged in Rust shooting

Alec Baldwin has been indicted by a grand jury in New Mexico over his involvement in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust in 2021. Baldwin was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter after the grand jury heard evidence from special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, according to NBC News. If convicted, the actor could face up to 18 months in prison.

Baldwin was initially charged in connection to Hutchins’ death in January 2023, but the charges were dropped in April of that same year. However, special prosecutors at the time noted that the charges could be refiled, pending further examination of the gun that fired the shot that killed Hutchins. Baldwin long maintained that he had not pulled the trigger, but the prop gun went off regardless; the gun was reportedly damaged in the initial investigation, and prosecutors were therefore unable to ascertain the truth of his claims. (The film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed is set to stand trial on February 21, having been accused of loading a live round into the prop gun.)

Over the summer, Morrissey and Lewis had further forensic testing done on the gun, including having it reconstructed by experts, and concluded that the prop could only have gone off if the trigger was pulled (per Variety). In October, the prosecutors indicated that they would soon present their new evidence before a grand jury. Baldwin’s lawyer Luke Nikas responded in a statement, saying, “It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court.” After news broke of the indictment on Friday, the actor’s attorneys Nikas and Alex Spiro reiterated the sentiment: “We look forward to our day in court.”