New Mexico prosecutors have announced they are filing new charges against Alec Baldwin after new evidence has emerged against the embattled Hollywood star.
Baldwin will be recharged over the shooting incident that claimed the life of a cinematographer on the set of his “Rust” movie, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said.
Morrissey revealed that the charges against Baldwin would be brought before a Santa Fe grand jury in November.
The accidental shooting killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Baldwin was holding the gun when the fatal shot was fired.
However, he has claimed numerous times that he did not pull the trigger.
Prosecutors have now revealed that an independent forensic investigation has found that Baldwin must have pulled the trigger on the revolver to fire the lethal shot.
The probe found that the gun couldn’t have fired without Baldwin pulling the trigger.
In a statement about the new charges, prosecutors said:
“After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza.
“We believe the appropriate course of action is to permit a panel of New Mexico citizens to determine from here whether Mr. Baldwin should be held over for criminal trial.”
Attorneys for Baldwin responded with a brief statement.
“It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution,” the statement said.
“We will answer any charges in court.”
The actor had been previously charged with involuntary manslaughter.
However, that charge was dropped in April, as Slay News reported at the time.
The movie’s weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez is facing trial in 2024.
In October last year, Baldwin and the movie’s producers settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Halyna Hutchins.
They went on to finish filming the movie in May.
