Alec Baldwin to be charged with manslaughter in movie set shooting

Prosecutors say Thursday that actor Alec Baldwin is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a cinematographer who was fatally shot on a New Mexico film set.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a statement announcing the offences against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who supervised weapons on the set.

Halyna Hutchins died soon after being shot during rehearsals for “Rust” at a ranch near Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021.

Baldwin was aiming a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and injuring the director, Joel Souza.

Officials say assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

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Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, who spearheaded the initial investigation into Hutchins’ death, described “a degree of neglect” on the movie set. After releasing the results of a yearlong investigation in October, prosecutors were left with the responsibility of deciding on potential criminal charges. That report did not indicate how live ammunition ended up on the set.

Baldwin — known for his role in “30 Rock” and his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live” — has called the killing a “tragic accident.”

He worked to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun that was given to him on the set. Baldwin, also a co-producer on “Rust,” said he was told the gun was safe.

New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator said the shooting was an accident after completing an autopsy and a review of law enforcement reports.

Hutchins’ death has prompted negotiations over safety provisions in film crew union contracts with Hollywood producers. It has also influenced other filmmakers to choose computer-generated imagery of gunfire rather than real weapons with blank ammunition to limit risks.