Charges against Alec Baldwin in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting to be dropped

Authorities are expected to drop criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin who was involved in an accidental fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust, his lawyers confirmed with Semafor on Thursday.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.

Baldwin, 65, had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after a gun he was holding fired a live round that killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

The decision to drop charges against the actor was reported on the same day Rust resumed production, 18 months after the fatal shooting. Producers said they would no longer be using real weapons on set.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the set’s armorer who handed Baldwin the loaded gun, still has charges standing against her, her lawyers told Semafor.

“The truth about what happened will come out and the questions that
we have long sought answers for will be answered,” attorneys Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion said in a statement. “We fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated.”

Both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty to downgraded charges in February.

A set manager for the film, Dave Halls, was the first person to be convicted in connection to the shooting last month. He was sentenced to to a six-month suspended sentence with unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service, and a firearms safety class.