Alec Baldwin has been charged by the district attorney for Santa Fe County, Mary Carmack-Altwies, for his role in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, which occurred on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico in October 2021. A .45 revolver handed to Baldwin was mistakenly loaded with live rounds instead of the standard dummy rounds, according to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the set armorer, who was also charged. The firearm discharged, though Baldwin claims he never pulled the trigger, only pulling back the hammer. Whatever the case, a live round departed the gun, fatally struck Hutchins in the chest, and then struck director Joel Souza’s shoulder.
Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed face one count of “involuntary manslaughter” apiece — a fourth-degree felony that carries a sentence of up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine — and a second count of “involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act,” which includes a firearm enhancement that could add a mandatory five years in jail. The first charge requires only negligence for conviction, while the latter would require evidence beyond “simple negligence.”
Notably, the charges are leveled “in the alternative,” meaning that a jury will decide on one or the other charge, not both, should they choose to convict.
Filming for Rust will resume this month but will not return to New Mexico.