New Mexico prosecutors reportedly plan to recharge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2021 “Rust” shooting that killed a cinematographer.
Two sources close to the matter told NBC News that the case would be presented to the grand jury next month. Prosecutors reportedly discussed offering a plea deal to Baldwin, 65, which would allow him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor — but the offer was rescinded this past weekend.
In April, prosecutors dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin. At the time, prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said they needed additional time to investigate new information presented to them, and that their review would not be completed before Baldwin’s preliminary hearing. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled at a later date.
At that time, prosecutors said Baldwin would be recharged if the gun was working properly and they determined it was not malfunctioning at the time of the deadly shooting.
Baldwin denied pulling the trigger of the gun that fatally shot Halyna Hutchins in the chest and wounded director Joel Souza in his shoulder. He claimed he was showing how he would pull a gun from the holster when the weapon fired in a mock church pew at Bonanza Creek Ranch — leading to a single bullet traveling through Souza’s shoulder which then struck Hutchins.
Baldwin told officers that he believed the gun was cold when he was rehearsing a cross draw. However, the FBI’s investigation concluded that the gun could not have been fired without someone pulling the trigger.
A source told NBC that prosecutors no longer believe the prop gun was modified, and new evidence suggests Baldwin was involved in unsafe practices on set.
On the day of the shooting, six camera crew members reportedly walked off the set due to issues with housing and payment. A witness said the six crew members were threatened with security if they did not leave and they were replaced with three non-union members.
“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed is scheduled to stand trial in February on charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Reed said that weapons supplier Seth Kenney, not her, was responsible for mixing live and dummy rounds.
Production on “Rust” resumed in April.
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[Featured image: Alec Baldwin/AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File and Halyna Hutchins/Instagram]
