Alec Baldwin to Be Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in Fatal ‘Rust’ Shooting

Alec Baldwin will be prosecuted for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on his “Rust” film set.

Prosecutors in Santa Fe County, NM made the statement Thursday early morning that Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter. The movie’s head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was likewise charged with involuntary manslaughter. Both deal with an optimum of 5 years in jail if founded guilty.

The Assistant Director, Dave Halls, has actually concurred to a plea offer for the charge of irresponsible usage of a lethal weapon. He will get a suspended sentence and 6 months probation.

Interestingly … no charges will be submitted in connection with the non-fatal shooting of director Joel Souza, who was struck in the shoulder by the very same bullet that eliminated Halyna.

Attorney Brian Panish, who represents the Hutchins household, informs TMZ, “We want to thank the Santa Fe Sheriff and the District Attorney for concluding their thorough investigation and determining that charges for involuntary manslaughter are warranted for the killing of Halyna Hutchins with conscious disregard for human life.”

Panish goes on … “Our independent investigation also supports charges are warranted. It is comfort to the family that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law. We support the charges.”

It’s fascinating … Halyna’s widow, Matthew Hutchins, settled with Baldwin and the production and in fact ended up being an Executive Producer on the movie.

In revealing the charges, the unique district attorney, Andrea Reeb, who was selected by the D.A., stated, “The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the ‘Rust’ film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our State’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”

Alec has the whole time rejected any misdeed, firmly insisting all he did was follow guidelines throughout a practice session where he was practicing how to position the handgun for a “cross draw” scene in a chapel … as director Joel Souza and Halyna determined electronic camera angles.

He’s likewise consistently stated assistant director Dave Halls handed him the prop gun and stated it was a “cold” weapon — indicating it was safe and unloaded — when he handed it to him.

While the movie’s lead armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was not in the chapel, Alec has actually recommended she bears some duty … as it was her task to prepare and inspect the props.

Alec was noticeably destroyed on set instantly after Halyna was shot. However, in subsequent interviews he went on the defensive, stating it was a terrible mishap for which he bore no duty. He likewise insisted he did NOT in fact shoot on that eventful day.

The FBI disagreed with Alec’s assertion … after checking the weapon, it provided a report which concluded the handgun would not fire without somebody shooting.

Halyna’s death was ultimately ruled to be unexpected — the medical inspector discovered no intent to trigger damage in their main report.

Still, Halyna’s household submitted a wrongful death claim versus Alec and others included in the production, stating he straight triggered her death which he was irresponsible in his handling of the weapon — not to reference security procedures on the set.

They eventually settled the claim in October, and concurred to total recording “Rust.”