Alec Baldwin's Charges In The Rust Tragedy To Be Dropped, But It's Not Over Yet

[UPDATE: Following the publication of this article, a new report from Deadline came through that states the charges against the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, are also being dropped. The original article continues below as originally published.]

Alec Baldwin likely won't be headed to a criminal trial in the case of the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after all; Variety and Deadline are reporting that special prosecutors in the New Mexico case are imminently expected to file paperwork in order to drop the involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor.

While the charges haven't officially been dropped yet, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, the pair of prosecutors appointed to the case last month, are reportedly due to file the necessary forms to dismiss the charges soon. Baldwin's camp has already responded to the news, as lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro shared the following statement: "We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident."

Hutchins died in October 2021 when a gun that witnesses say Baldwin was holding was discharged on set, killing the filmmaker and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin pled not guilty to the charges and has reportedly claimed that he did not pull the trigger on the weapon during a rehearsal for the Western film, but an FBI report refutes that story.

Regardless, the tragedy has led to a complicated conversation about who is at fault when on-set accidents occur, with producers (of which Baldwin was one) and on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed both named in lawsuits related to the case. According to Deadline, Gutierrez-Reed is still set to face criminal charges related to the incident. Safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls, meanwhile, has already been convicted of unsafe handling of a firearm, walking away with six months probation per NPR.

While this latest news indicates that Baldwin won't end up in court for criminal charges in the shooting (a hearing for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed was set to begin in early May), the actor still faces several civil battles. Several crew members who were present when the incident occurred have sued Baldwin, as have Hutchins' parents, sister, and husband. Deadline is also careful to note that, while special prosecutors seem poised to drop the charges against Baldwin, the decision isn't exactly permanent; charges could be filed at a later date. Still, this has been a very public and embattled case, with the Santa Fe District Attorney's office initially pursuing an additional charge against Baldwin — for firearm enhancement — that was dropped in February.

Despite everything, "Rust" is still set to continue production, with Deadline reporting that filming may have been scheduled to resume this week.