Alec Baldwin faces criminal charges for shooting dead a camerawoman on the set of a western film Peace. The 65-year-old American actor shot 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins in the chest with a weapon intended as a prop in October 2021, after which she died in hospital. The case was dismissed last April, but “new facts” that emerged in October show Baldwin’s guilt, according to prosecutors. A jury decided on Friday that the actor will be prosecuted for manslaughter, according to international news agencies.
Baldwin was practicing with the revolver, which was supposed to be unloaded, during the shooting. Still, the gun fired a bullet at Hutchins, killing him. Director Joel Souza was also hit by the bullet, but he suffered only injuries.
After the case was dismissed in April, an investigation showed in October that the bullet could only have been fired by pulling the trigger. Baldwin stated that he had never done that until now, and that he also assumed that the weapon was unloaded. If found guilty, he could face up to 1.5 years in prison.
In 2022, Hutchins’ widower also filed a case against Baldwin. That case was settled with a settlement. The film Peace was finished last year, but not yet published. It is not clear if and when the film will be shown.