In a shocking twist of fate, Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin has been indicted on involuntary manslaughter in relation to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
On Friday, a New Mexico grand jury chose to move forward with charging Baldwin for discharging a gun with live ammunition on the set of “Rust” in 2021. The decision arrived after NBC News was granted access to footage from the set of the film. Baldwin was seen firing the prop guns and even expressing safety concerns over the weapons.
The turn of events is a shocking move, considering the same New Mexico prosecutors dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin back in April. Baldwin has insisted he is not liable for what happened. Instead, he has placed blame on assistant director Dave Halls, who previously told Balwin that the weapon had no live ammunition. As for his role in the case, Halls pleaded no contest in March 2023 to negligent use of a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation.
“I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me,” Baldwin explained in a December 2021 interview with ABC News, though this comment was not received well by the public, who felt that he was dodging accountability for taking Hutchins life.
If convicted, Baldwin could spend up to 18 months behind bars. However, there appears to be plea negotiations in play, which could mean Baldwin may serve a fraction of that time, if any. In June 2023, the Hutchins family settled a wrongful death lawsuit with several members of the production staff and Baldwin.
