Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Shooting Trial Gets Underway

The trial of actor Alec Baldwin , charged with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of 'Rust', began on Tuesday (July 9). The incident, which also injured the film's director, Joel Souza , occurred nearly three years ago at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico.

Baldwin was rehearsing with a prop gun when it discharged , killing Hutchins and wounding Souza. Baldwin has consistently claimed that he did not pull the trigger and that the gun misfired. However, FBI testing of the .45-caliber Colt prop revolver indicated that the gun would not have discharged without the trigger being pulled.

The actor's attorneys had previously requested the case be dismissed, alleging that the firearm was damaged during forensic testing at the FBI lab. This motion was denied. Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and a firearm enhancement charge, but the latter was dropped, reducing his potential prison sentence by five years.

The charges against Baldwin were dismissed in April 2023 due to new facts in the case but were later reinstated by a grand jury . Baldwin's attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro , responded by stating, "We look forward to our day in court."

The trial is expected to last about two weeks and will include testimonies from numerous investigators, firearms experts, and possibly the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed , who is currently serving an 18-month jail sentence for her role in the shooting.