Alec Baldwin, the American actor, has been accused again of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting on the set of the movie “Rust” in 2021, as reported by the prosecution on Friday.
This follows the initial charges filed a year ago concerning the death of the film’s director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, during the filming in New Mexico. However, these charges were dropped in April 2023, citing “new facts” requiring “further investigation and forensic analysis.”
According to the new formal accusation presented on Friday, a grand jury concluded that there is probable cause against Baldwin, either for the negligent use of a firearm or lack of precaution.
In the United States, a grand jury is a group of citizens convened to evaluate evidence and decide if there are sufficient grounds to bring someone to trial.
“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, responded on Friday in a statement sent to AFP.
Baldwin, who was both an actor and producer on the Western film, was handling a Colt.45 firearm during rehearsals on October 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch when a shot was fired, killing Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Hollywood star Baldwin pleaded not guilty to the charges last year, consistently maintaining that he did not pull the trigger. However, forensic experts hired by the prosecution concluded that Baldwin had to exert some pressure on the trigger for the weapon to discharge.
If found guilty, Baldwin faces a sentence of up to 18 months in prison. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering in connection with Hutchins’ death, with her trial set to begin in February.
The tragedy shocked Hollywood, reigniting debates about firearm safety on film sets and triggering legal actions against Baldwin and the producers of “Rust.”