Alec Baldwin may be facing a new involuntary manslaughter charge as evidence is said to allegedly prove the “Rust” actor fired the prop gun that fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Initial charges against Baldwin were dropped in April 2023 after District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies stepped away from the prosecution. At the time, joint prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis issued a statement claiming that “new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case against” Baldwin.
Now, the findings of the further investigation have been made public. Per The New York Times, New Mexico prosecutors will convene a grand jury to consider refiling the involuntary manslaughter charge against actor and “Rust” executive producer Baldwin following cinematographer Hutchins’ death in 2021.
“We believe that based on our lengthy and detailed investigation that it is appropriate for a grand jury in New Mexico to make a decision on whether the case should proceed,” prosecutor Morrissey said.
The case was reopened after submitting the prop gun for further analysis, which allegedly contradicts Baldwin’s claims that he did not pull the trigger. Baldwin was unaware that the prop contained live ammunition. “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is still facing an involuntary manslaughter charge, among other claims. She has pleaded not guilty. Her trial date is set for February 2024.
“The forensic testing of the gun concluded with certainty that the trigger of the gun had to have been pulled for the gun to go off,” prosecutor Morrissey added.
According to The New York Times, forensic gun expert Lucien C. Haag, hired by the prosecutors, found that Baldwin “would have had to put pressure on the trigger for the gun to have gone off.” The report did not address whether the prop gun, which is a replica of a 1873 revolver, was modified or not. However, the report noted that two pounds of pressure on the trigger were required for the gun to discharge.
“Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver,” gun expert Haag wrote in the report.
The first assistant director on “Rust,” Dave Halls, has taken a plea deal after being charged with the negligent handling of a weapon. Halls was responsible for the safety on the set of the Western film, which resumed and concluded production in April of this year, with Baldwin as executive producer.
