Alec Baldwin’s Shooting Trial Begins This Week

This week, international film star Alec Baldwin will stand trial in a New Mexico courtroom for involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, he could face more than a year in prison.

Alec Baldwin’s Shooting Trial Begins This Week

Alec Baldwin will stand trial in New Mexico for involuntary manslaughter – the lowest offense involving killing another human. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and faces 18 months in prison if convicted.

Jury selection will occur Tuesday, July 9, 2024. Oral arguments will begin the next day. The trial will feature a judge and prosecutor that have already heard another case involving the fatal shooting on the set of Rust, Alec Baldwin’s indie Western.

Alec Baldwin Shooting: The Background

During the filming of Rust in 2021, a gun Alec Baldwin was holding fired and struck two members of the film’s crew.

Baldwin claims that he thought the weapon was a prop gun, and didn’t know how a live round was loaded into it. According to Baldwin, someone on the set called out “cold gun,” meaning the weapon was not loaded. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in the accident. Director Joel Souza also sustained injuries in the shooting.

Baldwin has maintained his innocence throughout the entire ordeal. Instead, he claims that the firearm was a prop gun, and shouldn’t have been loaded with real ammunition. To that end, Baldwin has shifted blame onto other members of the film’s production team. Notably, the film’s armorer (the person responsible for weapons on set) Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Gutierrez-Reed has taken much of the blame for the accident. She’s currently serving 18 months in the New Mexico Womens’ Correctional Facility for Involuntary Manslaughter – the same charge that Baldwin now faces.

Gutierrez-Reed said Rust was plagued by problems. The armorer stated that there was a lack of training, resources, and staffing on the firm's set. Notably, Baldwin was one of the film’s producers.

The same judge that presided over Gutierrez-Reed’s case will do the same for Baldwin’s. The prosecution may call Gutierrez-Reed to testify in Baldwin’s case, but she may refuse to do so.

The Big Picture

We’ve covered Alec Baldwin’s shooting incident before, so I won’t drag this article out with too much of my own opinion.

Long story short, Baldwin pointed a gun at someone and pulled the trigger. That violates two major rules of gun safety. First, never point a gun at something you don’t intend to destroy. Second, treat every gun as if it were loaded.

Baldwin negligently did both of these things. Unfortunately, someone else paid for it. Don’t let this happen to you: handle your guns responsibly.