American actor Alec Baldwin on Friday was re-charged in the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.  A New Mexico grand jury indicted Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter after being presented with a new investigation into the incident.

42-year old Hutchins was shot in the chest and killed while behind the camera after the revolver Baldwin was pointing in her direction went off in his hand.   

The film’s director was also injured.  New Mexico prosecutors dismissed the first manslaughter case against Baldwin in April of last year due to “facts” that were not made public.

Baldwin, who was also a producer of the low-budget western he starred in, maintains he did not pull the trigger.  The film’s assistant director David Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin to be used as a prop, signed a plea deal last year for the charge of “negligent use of a deadly weapon” and was sentenced to six months probation.

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the film’s young armorer who was responsible for on-set firearms, is also facing involuntary manslaughter charges in a trial that will begin late February.  She has pleaded not guilty.  

It remains unclear how real bullets wound up in the gun and on set, where five live rounds were found alongside dummy rounds used in production. Baldwin is facing 18 months in prison if convicted.

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