The New Mexico prosecutor’s office has dropped the manslaughter charge against the American actor Alec Baldwin, investigated in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot during the filming of the film Rust in October of 2021 in Santa Fe. In a statement, the prosecutors who were following the case said that in recent days “new facts have emerged” that make further investigations necessary. The statement clarifies that the decision to drop the charges «does not absolve» Baldwin, and that the actor could be indicted again in the future.
Hutchins had died after being hit by a live bullet loaded into a prop weapon Baldwin was wielding on set. The actor said he didn’t know the gun was loaded and never even pulled the trigger. The charges against him had been formalized in early 2023, and later reduced. In addition to Baldwin, the film’s weapons manager, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter: New Mexico prosecutors said the charges against her remain unchanged.
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