Alec Baldwin & ‘Rust’ Armorer To Be Formally Charged Tuesday With Involuntary Manslaughter Over 2021 Fatal Shooting Of Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

Almost two weeks after the Santa Fe District Attorney revealed that Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will face criminal claims over the October 2021 fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, charges against the duo will be formally filed tomorrow.

“The District Attorney and the special prosecutor are fully focused on securing justice for Halyna Hutchins,” said a spokesperson for First Judicial D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies today. “The evidence and the facts speak for themselves,” Heather Brewer added, noting there will be no press conference or interviews at the time of the filing in the New Mexico courts.

After the long awaited January 19 announcement of the charges against the multiple Emmy winner and Gutierrez-Reed, and the plea deal struck by Rust first Assistant Director David Halls, the official placement of the paperwork in the Land of Enchantment court dockets will kick-off a process that will likely see Baldwin and the crew member facing trial later this year.

Heading to what is sure to be a media circus, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed are each to be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death. Both could be facing a significant stint behind bars if found guilty.

Under New Mexico law, the first charge is a fourth-degree felony with sentencing of up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. The second charge, which is formally an involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act charge, is also a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to 18 months in jail and up to a $5000 fine. However, the second charge additionally carries a firearm enhancement. That gives the offense a punishing mandatory five years in state prison if the high-profile defendants are found guilty.

Earlier this month, Baldwin’s primary lawyer Luke Nikas of Quinn Emanuel called the D.A.’s decision to go for criminal charges a “terrible miscarriage of justice” and vowed to “fight these charges, and we will win.” Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney Jason Bowles told Deadline on January 19 the charges against his client are “the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts.”

Neither lawyers for Baldwin nor Gutierrez-Reed responded to request for comment from Deadline on today’s news. If and when they do, we will update this post.  

A producer on indie Western Rust, as well as the star of the film, Baldwin has always asserted that he did not pull the trigger on the gun that killed Hutchins. Speculation on how a live round got into the supposedly “cold” prop gun on October 21, 2021 cast a wide net including assistant director Halls, armorer Gutierrez-Reed, armorer mentor Seth Kenney, and others as the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office conducted their investigation into the tragedy.

Over the months, as civil lawsuits and a now settled wrongful death action from Hutchins’ family the courts in New Mexico and California, Sheriff’s Office in late 2022 finally released the FBI assisted police 551-page report which detailed the calamities that ensued before the killing of Hutchins and the wounding of director Joel Souza on October. 21, 2021.

Partially predicted due to a previous and somewhat successful D.A. funding request to the state to conduct a prosecution, the unveiling of Carmack-Altwies’ intention to take the matter to court finally followed several weeks later.