Breaking: Alec Baldwin Learns His Fate in Manslaughter Case
Charges against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of his Western film “Rust” in New Mexico have been dropped, according to a report.
Deadline first reported that the involuntary manslaughter charges that were filed against the actor in January were scheduled to be dismissed as early as Thursday afternoon.
Santa Fe County prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis will reportedly dismiss the charges but will reserve the right to file them again at some point in the future.
No explanation for why the charges will be dropped was offered by Deadline.
ABC News quickly confirmed the charges indeed had been dropped but also offered no explanation as to why.
Baldwin’s legal team celebrated the decision in a statement.
“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,” Baldwin’s lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said.
The Santa Fe District Attorney’s office declined to comment.
Baldwin had been charged in the on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. He was expected in court on May 3.
The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also injured in the shooting.
Baldwin argued the gun had simply gone off on its own.
“Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” Baldwin told ABC News just weeks after the fatal shooting in the New Mexico desert.
He added, “Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me.”
People on the set told investigators the actor had been negligent with regard to firearms safety and did not want to attend an hour-long gun safety course.
He later attended a half-hour training session.
One person who spoke to investigators said the actor was “distracted” during that course.
“Baldwin was distracted and talking on his cell phone to his family,” the person said.
An FBI analysis of the firearms that killed Hutchins found that it was not possible for the gun to just go off and a deliberate trigger pull would have had to have occurred.
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged in Hutchins’ death.
Gutierrez-Reed is still facing manslaughter charges.
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