Nearly three years after the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of “Rust,” actor Alec Baldwin is set to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin faces 18 months in jail if convicted for the incident that also injured director Joel Souza.

Jury selection starts Tuesday, though it’s unclear if Baldwin will testify. The shooting occurred on October 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, when Baldwin rehearsed with a prop gun that discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding Souza. Baldwin insists he didn’t pull the trigger, but FBI tests indicated the gun would not fire without the trigger being pulled.

Trial for Alec Baldwin in 'Rust' Shooting Case Set to Start
Halyna Hutchins (pictured), shot and killed on set, was serving as the movie’s cinematographer.

Last month, Baldwin’s lawyers sought to dismiss the case, citing firearm damage during FBI testing, but the judge denied the motion. Initially, Baldwin faced charges of involuntary manslaughter and a firearm enhancement, but the enhancement was dropped, reducing his potential sentence by five years.

In March 2023, special prosecutor Andrea Reed stepped down due to legal disqualification, and District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies resigned, appointing Kari T. Morrissey and Jason Lewis as special prosecutors. Charges against Baldwin were briefly dismissed to investigate new facts but were reinstated after further examination. Baldwin was indicted on involuntary manslaughter in January 2024.

Actor Alec Baldwin Goes to Trial for 'Rust' Set Tragedy
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed observes as her father, Thell Reed, steps down from the podium after pleading with the judge on April 15 to avoid sentencing his daughter to prison time.

Baldwin’s attorneys expressed readiness for trial, while SAG-AFTRA criticized the decision to re-charge him. Meanwhile, the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is serving an 18-month sentence for involuntary manslaughter and may not testify due to her Fifth Amendment rights. Assistant director Dave Halls, who pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon, is expected to testify, contradicting Baldwin’s claims about the gun’s condition.

Baldwin’s trial is projected to last about two weeks.