All criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Rust movie have been dropped.
Prosecutors in Santa Fe had been pressing forward with two involuntary manslaughter charges against the Hollywood star.
There are still at least five ongoing civil cases against Baldwin and the producers of Rust.
A statement from Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said: “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident.”
However, prosecutors in Santa Fe are pressing forward with involuntary manslaughter charges against weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She has pleaded not guilty.
It comes as Baldwin resumed filming of Rust today at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, 18 months after Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on set.
The production company finalised a settlement last month with New Mexico workplace safety regulars over “serious” violations and agreed to a $100,000 (£80,435) fine to resolve a scathing safety review that detailed unheeded complaints and misfires on set before the cinematographer was killed.
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Earlier this month, Baldwin asked for a lawsuit filed by the parents and sister of Rust cinematographer Ms Hutchins to be dismissed by a judge.
The actor said Olga Solovey, Anatolii Androsovych, and Svetlana Zemko filed the suit to “obtain compensation” following Ms Hutchins’s death in October 2021.
The family of the 42-year-old cinematographer filed the lawsuit back in February after she was killed during filming on set of the film, just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
It alleges battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium, which is when a plaintiff seeks to recover compensation for damages to certain relationships on which they are mutually dependent.
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Alec Baldwin to resume filming Rust
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Three crew members are also among those to have started legal action, saying they have suffered anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder since the shooting.
Baldwin, 65, was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal when the weapon when off, killing the cinematographer and wounding director Joel Souza.
The actor claimed the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger.
However, an FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.
The star has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and previously pleaded guilty to the two charges of involuntary manslaughter that have now been dropped.
The actor was also sued by Ms Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, their son and estate, alleging that reckless behaviour and cost-cutting led to her death.
A settlement was reached outside of court in October 2022.
