Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter charges have been downgraded over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The 42-year-old was tragically killed on the set of Rust in New Mexico back in October 2021, after a prop gun Alec was holding went off during a rehearsal.
Last month, the 64-year-old actor was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
US prosecutors have since downgraded the involuntary manslaughter charges against Alex, reducing the possible prison time he may face.
The actor and Rust’s set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, resulting in a maximum prison sentence of 5 years.
The judge presiding over the case has since filed altered charges for both parties, reducing their possible sentence to a maximum of 18 months.
A spokesperson for the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney said: “In order to avoid further litigious distractions by Mr Baldwin and his attorneys, the district attorney and the special prosecutor have removed the firearm enhancement to the involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of Halyna Hutchinson the Rust film set.”
An attorney for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed said: “We applaud the decision of the district attorney to dismiss the firearm enhancement and it was the right call, ethically, and on the merits.”
Alec broke down in tears as he spoke about Halyna’s death for the first time during an ABC News Special in December 2021.
During the televised interview, Alec insisted he “didn’t pull the trigger” of the gun that killed Halyna.
Recalling the day of the shooting, which occurred on set in New Mexico on October 21, Alec said he was rehearsing a scene with Halyna, who was directing his every move.
“She’s guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle,” he said. “I’m holding the gun where she told me to hold it, which ended up being aimed right below her armpit.”
In order to get the shot, the actor said he needed to cock the gun – but not fire it.
“I cock the gun. I go, ‘Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?’ And then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off,” he recalled.
When asked if he pulled the trigger of the gun, Alec replied: “No, no, no, no, no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them.”
The actor said he “would go to any lengths to undo what happened”, but insisted he doesn’t feel responsible for Halyna’s death.
“Honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might’ve killed myself if I thought that I was responsible. And I don’t say that lightly,” he confessed.
“I don’t know what happened on that set. Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
“I feel that… someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but I know it’s not me,” he said.
Alec also said at the time that he didn’t believe he would face criminal charges over the incident.
