New Mexico prosecutors have dropped the criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin surrounding the shooting which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust.
The incident, which happened in October 2021, occurred when the 65-year-old actor was pointing a pistol at Hutchins during a rehearsal, which went off, killing the cinematographer and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin was charged in January this year of two counts of involuntary manslaughter surrounding the incident, with prosecutors citing his “extremely reckless acts or reckless failures to act.”
Now, prosecutors will no longer be pursuing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, but did state that they would investigate further and that charges could be refiled. The film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s charges remain.
Baldwin has yet to address the news directly, but did take to social media to share his gratitude to his wife, Hilaria, and attorny Luke Nikas. “I owe everything I have to this woman. (and to you, Luke),” he wrote.
The actor’s attorneys said in a statement they are “pleased with the decision to dismiss the case” and “encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident.”
