Prosecutor Ends Manslaughter Case Against Alec Baldwin in “Rust” Tragedy

A New Mexico criminal case against actor Alec Baldwin, stemming from the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust, has officially concluded. Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey announced on Monday that she was withdrawing her appeal of the case’s dismissal, according to a statement from the First Judicial District Attorney’s office.

Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, released a statement calling the decision “the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning—this was an unspeakable tragedy, but Alec Baldwin committed no crime.”

In July, a New Mexico judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, siding with his legal team’s argument that the prosecution and the sheriff’s office had concealed evidence regarding the source of the live round that killed Hutchins.

The district attorney’s office maintained its disagreement with the judge’s ruling but decided to drop the appeal after the Office of the Attorney General indicated it would not fully support pursuing the case.

The tragic incident occurred on a movie set near Santa Fe as Baldwin pointed a prop gun at Hutchins to prepare for a camera shot. The gun discharged a live round that had been inadvertently loaded by the film’s chief weapons handler, Hannah Gutierrez.

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Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and sentenced the following month. Baldwin, however, denied pulling the trigger and insisted he was directed to aim the gun at the camera. The FBI and an independent firearms expert, however, determined that the weapon could not have fired without the trigger being depressed.

The shooting marked the first on-set fatality involving a live round since Hollywood’s silent film era, according to historian Alan Rode. Historically, incidents like these have been resolved through civil litigation. The most notable prior case was in 1993, when actor Brandon Lee died after a blank round dislodged a bullet lodged in the barrel of a prop gun during the filming of The Crow.

While Baldwin’s legal battle has concluded, the incident continues to serve as a sobering reminder of the importance of safety protocols in the film industry.

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