SANTA FE, N.M. — Alec Baldwin once again is staring down a felony involuntary manslaughter charge after a grand jury indicted the actor in connection with the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie in New Mexico.
The lead actor and a co-producer on “Rust,” Baldwin pointed a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.
A new analysis of the gun opened the way for prosecutors to reboot the case, after dismissing an involuntary manslaughter charge last year. A new one-page indictment delivered by the grand jury Friday alleges Baldwin caused Hutchins’ death — either by negligence or “total disregard or indifference” for safety.
Defense attorneys for Baldwin indicate they’ll fight the charge, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 18 months.
Here are some things to know about the case.
Next steps
Baldwin can enter a formal plea with or without a court arraignment, setting in motion preparations for trial.
Alec Baldwin attends the NYU Tisch School of the Arts 50th anniversary Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, April 4, 2016, in New York. A grand jury indicted Alec Baldwin on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, on an involuntary manslaughter charge in a 2021 fatal shooting during a rehearsal on a movie set in New Mexico, reviving a dormant case against the A-list actor. Credit: AP/Andy Kropa
The indictment provides prosecutors with two alternative standards for the felony involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin. One would be based on the negligent use of a firearm.
Baldwin has said he pulled back the gun’s hammer, but not the trigger, and the weapon fired. But a recent analysis of the gun used by Baldwin from Lucien and Michael Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona concluded that “the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the…
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