Felony charges against Alec Baldwin, 'Rust' armorer downgraded

Prosecutors dropped firearm enhancement from involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed in connection with the deadly shooting on the set of the movie "Rust" in 2021.

A spokesperson for Sante Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said Monday that the involuntary manslaughter charges for the both of them will remain.

"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 Hutchins on the 'Rust' film set. The prosecution's priority is securing justice, not securing billable hours for big-city attorneys," spokesperson Heather Brewer said in a statement.

The district attorney charged Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed each with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after authorities said Baldwin fired a live round from a prop gun on the set, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin's legal team has maintained that Baldwin had "no reason to believe" the prop gun had live ammunition. Joul Souza, the film's director, was also injured in the shooting, but Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will not face charges related to his injury.

A firearm enhancement charge carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence if convicted. An involuntary manslaughter charge carries a potential sentence of up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

The movie will reportedly restart filming in January 2023, after Baldwin settled a lawsuit with the family of the cinematographer. "Rust" also hired a new cinematographer last week, and the production team plans to produce a documentary on Hutchins' life.