Alec Baldwin | “Rust” actor set to stand trial for manslaughter charge after on-set shooting

Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin will stand trial for the shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” later this year, a New Mexico court has ruled. The 65-year-old actor, the lead actor and one of the co-producers of the Western film, will be tried for involuntary manslaughter of the Ukraine-born cinematographer, which occurred in October 2021.

Baldwin was pointing the gun at cinematographer Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set outside of Santa Fe when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.  According to Baldwin, he only pulled back the hammer of the gun but did not pull the trigger, however, the gun fired. After analyzing the situation, it was concluded that the trigger must have been pulled enough to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver.

That revolver is also part of the testimony in a case against “Rust” weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is currently standing trial at the Santa Fe court for both involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence, as testimony comes from an FBI firearms expert. These proceedings will also hold implications for Baldwin, who could face 18 months in prison if convicted.

The actor entered a plea of not guilty in January, one day before his scheduled arraignment. He was indicted by a grand jury after prosecutors received a new analysis of the revolver he was using during filming. This renewed a charge that prosecutors had originally filed and then dismissed in April of 2023.

The trial is set to begin on July 10th after jury selection on July 9th, with opening statements by special prosecutors and Baldwin’s defence attorneys. The legal proceedings are anticipated to last eight days.