Alec Baldwin formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Rust shooting

Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set, according to court documents filed by prosecutors Tuesday.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed the charging documents naming Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western film Rust.

The filing comes nearly two weeks after Carmack-Altwies first announced that Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed would be prosecuted for what authorities have described as a pattern of criminal disregard for safety.

Both Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges.

Baldwin's attorney Luke Nikas declined comment Tuesday and referred to his previous statement on the case, in which he called the charges a "terrible miscarriage of justice" that he and his client would fight and win.

"Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set," the statement said. "He relied on the professionals with whom he worked."

Gutierrez Reed's attorney said they would release a statement later.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded in a shooting during rehearsals at a film set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, N.M., on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the film's director. 

Prosecutors have said that Baldwin's involvement as a producer and as the person who fired the gun was factored into the decision to file charges.

Hutchins's death already has led to new safety precautions in the film industry.

The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster The Hunt for Red October and a starring role in the sitcom 30 Rock, as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese's The Departed and a film adaptation of David Mamet's Glengary Glen Ross. In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former president Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.

Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press in a Jan. 19 interview that the set was "really being run pretty fast and loose" and that Baldwin should have known there had been previous misfires on the set and that multiple people had brought up safety concerns.

She added that Baldwin was the one who pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.

Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. It could take up to 60 days for a decision.