New Mexico prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against Alec Baldwin over the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust,” according to the actor’s attorneys.
Baldwin’s lawyers said the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin was dismissed without prejudice.
“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,” attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement to Reuters.
The charges against armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remain. Both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty during a February hearing.
Baldwin has maintained he did not pull the trigger of the 1880s prop gun that killed Hutchins on the movie set in October 2021. In a December 2021 interview with George Stephanopoulos, the actor said he had “no idea” how the firearm was discharged.
“Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” he told ABC at the time.
An investigation by the FBI reached a different conclusion last August. Forensics found no way the weapon could have gone off without someone pulling the trigger.
The production company behind “Rust” finalized a $100,000 settlement with New Mexico workplace safety regulators in March.
Filming on “Rust” is reportedly set to resume on Thursday. The production relocated from New Mexico to the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana and Baldwin will return as the lead.