Why Alec Baldwin Isn’t Totally Off the Hook in Fatal ‘Rust’ Shooting Despite Dropped Charges

Although all criminal charges against Alec Baldwin related to the 2021 fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins have been dropped, New Mexico prosecutors say the actor isn’t totally off the hook. In fact, they say Thursday’s decision doesn’t absolve him of criminal liability and that it’s possible that further investigation into him could lead to new charges.

The special prosecutors, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, released a statement late Thursday regarding the decision to drop the charges. “Over the last few days and in preparation for the May 3, 2023, preliminary hearing, new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case against Alexander ‘Alec’ Rae Baldwin, III,” the statement began, Deadline reports. “Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form. We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation. This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going.”

Although charges against Baldwin were dropped, the charges of involuntary manslaughter against former Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will remain. “Charges against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remain unchanged,” prosecutors said Thursday night. A virtual status hearing has been set for Friday in Santa Fe.

Meanwhile, Baldwin’s attorneys said they were “pleased with the decision to dismiss the case” against Baldwin. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed, whose lawyers said they expect her charges to be dismissed eventually as well, pleaded not guilty earlier this year to the charges.

Filming on Rust is scheduled to resume this week in Montana. Production was suspended in October 2021 after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, is now an executive producer on the movie under a settlement he reached with the production (which includes Baldwin) to resolve a wrongful death suit.

Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger on the gun that killed Hutchins and that it discharged on its own. Gutierrez-Reed loaded the gun the day of the shooting and was responsible for weapons on set. Prosecutors allege that Baldwin should have assumed the gun he was handling was loaded with live rounds and known that “the first rule of gun safety is never to point a gun at someone you don’t intend on shooting.” He also allegedly “contributed to or failed to mitigate or address multiple significant safety violations,” including prior misfires, and fostered an unsafe set by hiring Gutierrez-Reed as the lead armorer.