All criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin for his role in the "Rust" shooting have been dropped according to a KOB4 article published on Thursday.
Baldwin was facing involuntary charges for holding the gun that fired and killed Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza in October 2021. In January, the Santa Fe district attorney filed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, which included a felony firearm enhancement that carried up to five years in prison if convicted. However, the enhancement charge was dropped in February, and in April, Baldwin's attorneys indicated that he no longer faces any charges related to the case.
“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,” they said in a statement published on Thursday.
"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed still faces involuntary manslaughter charges. Assistant director Dave Halls' plea deal was accepted by a judge, but he was still sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, and 24 hours of community service.
While Baldwin's charges have been dropped, it's still possible for other charges related to the shooting to be filed against him in the future.
“Over the last few days and in preparation for 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," special prosecutors for the case said in a statement published on Thursday. "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 ongoing. Charges against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remain unchanged. No further statements will be made at this time.”