What Happened in theRustShooting? Revisiting the Manslaughter Case Against Alec Baldwin — and Why the Charges Were Dropped

Mar. 15, 2025

Alec Baldwin attends the 10th annual Filming Italy Los Angeles festival on Feb. 21, 2025, in Los Angeles ; An aerial photo of the movie set of ‘Rust’ at Bonanza Creek Ranch on Oct. 23, 2021, in Santa Fe, N.M.Photo:Michael Tullberg/Getty ; AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Michael Tullberg/Getty ; AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

It’s been nearly four years since the tragicRustshootingthat killed cinematographerHalyna Hutchins.

Although Baldwin claimed hedid not pull the triggerand could not have known the gun contained live ammunition, he and armorerHannah Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded the gun with a live round that day, were charged with involuntary manslaughter. But while Gutierrez-Reed was convicted andsentenced to 18 months in prisonin April 2024, Baldwin’s case wasdismissed that July.

Now, more details from the days leading up to and after the incident are emerging in aLast Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, which premiered on Hulu on March 11.

From the details of Alec Baldwin’s trial to how Halyna Hutchins' family has honored her, here’s everything to know about theRustshooting case.

What is the movieRustabout?

Rustset.Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal/Zuma

Rusttells the story of a teenage boy who is left to care for himself and his younger brother after their parents' deaths. Set in 1880s Kansas, the boy runs away with his long-estranged grandfather after he’s sentenced to hanging for the accidental killing of a rancher.

Jake Busey was additionally added to the cast, perDeadline.

How was Alec Baldwin involved in the on-setRustshooting?

Alec Baldwin; Halyna Hutchins.Jesse Grant/Getty; Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Baldwin, who insists he didn’t pull the trigger, was holding the gun that had accidentally shot both Hutchins and Souza.

Hutchins was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she died from her injuries, according to the sheriff’s department. Souza was hospitalized butreleased a few days later.

Why were there live bullets onRust’s set?

Alec Baldwin on the set ofRust.Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office/ZUMA

A crew member told PEOPLE they saw"a lot of red flags"while watching armorer Gutierrez-Reed on set, including that she didn’t keep the weapons “safe” and “locked up” while filming. (On film sets, the armorer is generally tasked with overseeing weapons.)

Prior to working onRust, Gutierrez-Reed (the daughter of expert Hollywood armorer Thell Reed) had just finished serving as head armorer on her first movieThe Old Way, starringNicolas Cage— a gig she told theVoices of the Westpodcast caused her to second-guess her ability.

“I wasreally nervous about it at first, and I almost didn’t take the job because I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but doing it — it went really smoothly,” she said ofThe Old Way. “I think loading blanks was like the scariest thing to me because I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything about it.’ "

According to theLos Angeles Times, theRustproduction managers “struggled to recruit experienced crew members” after nearly a dozen prop masters or armorers turned the jobs down.

Furthermore, theLos Angeles Timesreported that six camera crew workers walked off the set ofRustto protest working conditions — which included long hours, commutes and periods of waiting for paychecks — in addition to a lack of following strict safety protocols, like gun inspections.

What was Alec Baldwin charged with?

Alec Baldwin.Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images

More than one year after the fatal on-set shooting, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced in January 2023 that Baldwin and armorer Gutierrez-Reedwould both be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

“After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of theRustfilm crew,” Carmack-Altwies said in a statement. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”

Reeb added, “If any one of these three people — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls — had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple. The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on theRustfilm set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”

What was the verdict for Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s charges?

Alec Baldwin attends his trial on involuntary manslaughter in First Judicial District Court on July 11, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M. ; Hannah Gutierrez-Reed during the trial against her at First Judicial District Courthouse on Feb. 22, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M.Ramsay de Give/Getty ; Eddie Moore/Getty

Ramsay de Give/Getty ; Eddie Moore/Getty

Gutierrez-Reed’s charges were not dropped alongside Baldwin’s in April 2023. In March 2024, she wasfound guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She was found liable, in part, for the fatal shooting of Hutchins and was acquitted of a separate charge of tampering with evidence.

The next month, theRustarmorer was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter. In addition to the maximum sentence in New Mexico she faced, Gutierrez-Reed was also fined $5,000.

Meanwhile, Baldwin and his legal team worked to get the involuntary manslaughter charges dismissed before the July 2024 trial, though their attempt was initially denied. But just a few days into the trial, a judgedismissed the casewith prejudice.

“The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer explained of her decision.

Why is Alec Baldwin suing the prosecutors?

Alec Baldwin attends SNL50: The Anniversary Special on Feb. 16, 2025, in New York City.John Nacion/Variety via Getty

John Nacion/Variety via Getty

In January 2025, Baldwin filed amalicious prosecution lawsuitagainst the case’s prosecutors in hopes of holding the defendants “accountable for their misconduct.”

He also alleged that “certain defendants” deliberately hid evidence and provided false testimony in court, aiming to frame Baldwin as the “scapegoat” for the tragedy.

What has Alec Baldwin said about the aftermath of the trial?

Alec Baldwin during a pretrial hearing at the First Judicial District Courthouse on July 8, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M.Ross D. Franklin/Getty

Ross D. Franklin/Getty

Although years have passed since the October 2021 incident, Baldwin is still grappling with the aftermath today.

In February 2025, the actor opened up to PEOPLE about coming to terms with the tragedy all these years later.

“I had to stuff [feelings] down because I hadseven kids. I couldn’t really go in the other room and cry or whatever. And now theemotion is really kind of washing upon me,” he said. “I don’t think other people would’ve survived this.”

His wifeHilaria Baldwinalso opened up about the fallout in the couple’s reality TLC seriesThe Baldwins,explaining that Baldwin struggles with “survivor’s guilt” and will “never be the same.”

“You’re involved in this thing that nobody could even possibly imagine. And so he goes back to that day, he wishes it were him," Hilaria said. “He would change places [with Hutchins] in a second.”

She added, “This has affected his health and his mental health tremendously the past few years. All of a sudden, he has started having heart problems. He’s been hospitalized multiple times.”

How has Halyna Hutchins’ family honored her after her death?

Halyna Hutchins attends the 2018 Sundance Film Festival Official Kickoff Party on Jan. 19, 2018, in Park City, Utah.Mat Hayward/Getty

Many of Hutchins' family members, including her husband Matthew Hutchins, wished for the movie to resume filming as a way to continue her legacy.

In theLast Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, Hutchins' mother, Olga, was interviewed from Ukraine and opened up about wanting her daughter’s work to be honored.

“I wanted this to happen,” she said. “Maybe some people didn’t want it. But I wanted this to happen because it was a big work of Halyna. She wanted this movie to be finished.”

Olga added that she also wanted Hutchins' son Andros to see the finished project and “be proud of his mother.”

When willRustbe released?

Rust set.Jae C Hong/AP/Shutterstock

Rustresumed filmingin April 2023 and wrapped production that May. In November 2024, the film made its debut at the Camerimage Festival in Poland, which honors the work of cinematographers and directors of photography.

Director of photography Bianca Cline, who took over for Hutchins after her tragic death, told PEOPLE that the screening would honor the late cinematographer’s “beautiful” work.

“Wewanted to do this to honor herand to make sure that people could see what she was working on,” Cline said. “I think that it’s her best film. I think that it’s her most beautiful film, and I’ve seen all of them.”

As for a theater release,Rusthas yet to secure a domestic partner as of January 2025, perDeadline.

source: people.com