Alec Baldwin Handles Rifle on New 'Rust' Set
Alec Baldwin Pictured Gripping A Rifle on "Rust" Set One Day After Criminal Charges Dropped
The first photos of Alec Baldwin on the new "Rust" movie set have trickled out ... and one showed him handling a lever action rifle.
Baldwin was shooting scenes for the film in Pray, Montana, Friday when the images were snapped -- the actor was spotted passing the prop gun, handle first, to another crew member.
Another picture shows the actor wearing old Western garb while standing next to a horse just one day after prosecutors dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against him in the 2021 killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the first "Rust" set in New Mexico. Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the shooting but survived.
From the beginning, Baldwin maintained that he never pulled the trigger when he shot Hutchins with a revolver while practicing for a scene, claiming the gun had discharged on its own. He also said he was told the gun was not loaded with live ammo.
The Santa Fe D.A. folded like a cheap suit, belatedly conceding the prop gun Baldwin used at the time had a modified trigger that increased the likelihood the firearm could misfire without actually pulling the trigger.
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed still faces involuntary manslaughter charges. Former "Rust" assistant director David Halls cut a plea deal with prosecutors for his role in Hutchins' death and was sentenced to 6 months probation.
With the exception of Halls and Gutierrez-Reed, most of the OG cast and crew have returned to the new "Rust" set to finish shooting the movie. Hutchins' widower, Matthew, is now an executive producer on the film after he reached a settlement with the production company in October.
