Shot prop gun leads to prison... Alec Baldwin ultimately 'indicted'

Prosecution to File Charges of Negligent Homicide After Additional Investigation
"Baldwin May Have Pulled the Trigger Himself"

Famous American actor Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with an accident on a movie set where a prop gun loaded with live ammunition was fired, resulting in the death of the cinematographer.

On the 19th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) and the Associated Press (AP) reported that a grand jury in New Mexico issued an indictment charging Baldwin criminally. The 12-member grand jury deliberated in court since the previous day and decided to indict after more than eight jurors agreed.

The incident occurred on October 21, 2021, during the filming of the low-budget Western movie Rust at a ranch south of Santa Fe, New Mexico. At that time, the prop gun fired by Baldwin was loaded not with blanks but with live rounds, fatally wounding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and seriously injuring director Joel Souza.

In response, the New Mexico prosecutor charged Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed with involuntary manslaughter in January last year. Baldwin was also scheduled to appear in court on involuntary manslaughter charges in February last year.

At the time, Baldwin claimed that “the armorer did not properly check whether live rounds were loaded, and the assistant director said it was blanks,” asserting that he was not responsible for the accident. He also said he did not pull the trigger himself and that the gun seemed to have fired due to a malfunction.

Alec Baldwin [Image source=Naver Movie]

However, special prosecutors Carrie Moriarty and Jason Lewis stated in a press release, “Due to current time constraints and the evidence submitted by existing law enforcement agencies, we cannot proceed with the indictment,” and withdrew the charges. They added, “This decision does not exempt Baldwin from criminal responsibility, and charges may be refiled following further investigation.”

Subsequently, the prosecution conducted additional investigations and concluded that the gun did not malfunction, submitting related evidence to the grand jury. AP quoted forensic expert Lucien Hagg, who analyzed the gun, saying, “For a bullet to be fired, the trigger must have been sufficiently pulled or pressed,” suggesting a strong possibility that Baldwin pulled the trigger himself.

In New Mexico, a conviction for involuntary manslaughter can result in a prison sentence of up to 18 months.

In April last year, Gloria Allred, the attorney representing the parents and siblings of cinematographer Hutchins, filed a civil lawsuit against Baldwin. At that time, the bereaved family stated, “Baldwin may pretend he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and firing the live round that took Halyna’s life, but in reality, he cannot escape the fact that he played a major role in that tragedy.” The lawsuit is currently on hold pending the conclusion of the criminal case.

Meanwhile, the NYT reported that court documents indicate Baldwin may face financial pressure as he struggles to find work in the industry following this incident. He recently put his luxury home in the Hamptons, Long Island, New York, on the market for $19 million (approximately 25.4 billion KRW).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.