Alec Baldwin, the A-list actor known for his roles in movies such as The Departed and 30 Rock, has been indicted on an involuntary manslaughter charge.
The charge stems from a fatal shooting that occurred during a rehearsal on a movie set in New Mexico in 2021.
The indictment was brought before a grand jury in Santa Fe by special prosecutors this week, following the receipt of a new analysis of the gun that was used.
The details of the analysis have not been made public, as the proceeding is shrouded in secrecy.
Baldwin's legal team has yet to respond to the indictment, and the special prosecutors have declined to comment on the case.
The tragedy occurred on the set of the Western movie Rust, where Baldwin was the lead actor and a co-producer.
During a rehearsal, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her instantly. In addition to Hutchins, director Joel Souza was also wounded in the incident.
Baldwin maintains that he pulled back the hammer of the gun but did not pull the trigger. However, the analysis of the firearm conducted by forensic experts concluded that the trigger had to have been pulled or depressed in order for the gun to fire, contradicting Baldwin's account of the events.
This is not the first time that Baldwin has faced legal consequences for the shooting.
In April 2023, special prosecutors dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against him after it was revealed that the gun may have been modified before the incident, leading to a malfunction. However, they later decided to refile the charge after receiving the new analysis of the gun.
Several civil lawsuits seeking compensation from Baldwin and the producers of Rust have been put on hold pending the outcome of the criminal case. The plaintiffs in these lawsuits include members of the film crew who allege negligence in maintaining safety standards on set.
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Rust's production company has already paid a $100,000 fine to state workplace safety regulators due to violations of industry protocols.
An investigation found that production managers failed to take appropriate action in response to previous misfires on set.
The trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the movie set who is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering, is scheduled to begin in February. Meanwhile, Rust assistant director and safety coordinator David Halls pleaded no contest to unsafe handling of a firearm and received probation.
