Rust star Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the film's 2021 shooting case, according a statement obtained by NBC News.
Ahead of the latest development, the New Mexico District Attorney's Office confirmed their intent to formally file charges following the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.
"The District Attorney and the special prosecutor are fully focused on securing justice for Halyna Hutchins," First Judicial District Attorney's Office spokesperson Heather Brewer said in a statement included in a Jan. 30 press release. "The evidence and the facts speak for themselves."
The shooting occurred in October 2021 after a loaded prop gun held by Baldwin discharged, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Souza, who was shot in the shoulder, was later released after being treated at a hospital.
No charges will be filed specific to the shooting of the director, the district attorney's office stated in a Jan. 19 press release.
Additionally, the film's assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, according to the District Attorney's Office's Jan. 19 press release. The terms include a suspended sentence and six months of probation.
In response, an attorney for Halls told E! News at the time, "Mr. Halls accepted a petty misdemeanor charge. Absent no charges at all, this is the best outcome for Mr. Halls and the case. He can now put this matter behind him and allow the focus of this tragedy to be on the shooting victims, their family and changing the industry so this type of accident will never happen again."
The formal charges come nearly two weeks after the district attorney's office stated that "there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew."
Shortly thereafter, Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas, said the decision "represents a terrible miscarriage of justice."
"Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun—or anywhere on the movie set," Nikas said in a statement shared to NBC News Jan. 19. "He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win."
An attorney for Gutierrez-Reed also called the shooting "a tragic accident."
"She did not commit involuntary manslaughter," Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, Jason Bowles, told E! News in a Jan. 19 statement. "These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts. We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury."
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family).