Charge Against Alec Baldwin Dropped in Fatal Shooting of Cinematographer

Baldwin could still potentially be jailed for up to 18 months if he’s convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the high-profile death of a Ukrainian cinematographer.

Alec Baldwin no longer faces a potential mandatory five-year prison sentence over the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins following the decision by prosecutors to drop a ‘firearms enhancement’ charge which was brought against the actor earlier this month.

But Baldwin isn’t in the clear entirely – at least not yet. The actor is still charged with involuntary manslaughter and faces a possible 18 months if he’s convicted, according to the District Attorney’s office, which filed the amended complaint on Friday.

The now-deceased cinematographer was killed in October 2021 after being struck by a live bullet fired from a prop gun held by Baldwin, who continues to insist that he didn’t pull the trigger.

Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the prosecution, described the decision to remove “the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the Rust film set” as an attempt to “avoid further litigious distractions by Mr. Baldwin and his attorneys.”

“The prosecution's priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys,” her statement concluded.

The ‘firearms enhancement’ charge against former Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed – who’s facing an involuntary manslaughter charge as well – has also reportedly been dropped.

In a statement, Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney said “we applaud the decision of the District Attorney to dismiss the gun enhancement” and insisted that “it was the right call, ethically, and on the merits.”

Last month, Baldwin attorney Luke Nikas condemned the decision to bring criminal charges against the actor, saying the move "distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice."

“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set,” his lawyer claimed. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds,” Nikas stated, adding “we will fight these charges, and we will win.”