In the last minute, Alec Baldwin has tried to avoid being brought to justice. But the attempts have failed, and on Tuesday, the trial against the accused Hollywood star begins.
Here are the many twists that have led up to the trial.
October 2021:
Alec Baldwin and several other film workers gather in a small wooden church in New Mexico. They are rehearsing a scene in the western film "Rust", where Baldwin plays the lead role.
Responsible for the weapons on the film set is 24-year-old Hannah Gutierrez Reed. She loads a revolver with what she believes are blank shots. Baldwin points the gun at the camera, a loud bang is heard, and 42-year-old film photographer Halyna Hutchins falls to the ground. The revolver turns out to be loaded and Hutchins dies from her injuries. The shot also hits director Joel Souza, who is injured in the shoulder.
December 2021:
In an interview with the American TV channel ABC, an emotional Baldwin says he never fired the gun:
I didn't pull the trigger, he says, and insists he would never point a pistol at anyone and shoot.
A later FBI report concludes that the revolver, a Colt .45, "could not have been fired without someone pulling the trigger".
October 2022:
Alec Baldwin reaches a civil settlement with Halyna Hutchins' family.
January 2023:
Prosecutors bring charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed for involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin's lawyer calls the charges against him "a horrific miscarriage of justice".
Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a real bullet in the pistol or anywhere on the film set. He relied on the professionals he worked with, says the lawyer.
March 2023:
Assistant director Dave Hall receives a six-month suspended sentence for his involvement in the incident.
April 2023:
The criminal charges against Baldwin are dropped, just weeks before the trial was set to begin, after new evidence emerges in the case. However, prosecutors add a caveat in a statement:
"The decision does not acquit Mr. Baldwin of guilt, and charges may be brought again".
January 2024:
Alec Baldwin is charged again – this time with involuntary manslaughter. He requests that the charges be dropped, but a judge in New Mexico decides in May that they will stand.
March 2024:
Hannah Gutierrez Reed is sentenced to one and a half years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. She appeals the verdict.
July 9, 2024:
The trial begins with over 60 people on the witness list. If 66-year-old Baldwin is convicted, he risks 18 months in prison.
Occupation: Actor.
Age: 66 years.
Family: Wife Hilaria, eight children.
Background: Broke through in the soap opera "Knots Landing" in the mid-80s and in films like "Married to the Mob" and "Working Girl". Has since appeared in a long list of films, such as "The Hunt for Red October", "Notting Hill", "Pearl Harbor", and several "Mission: Impossible" films. He was Oscar-nominated for his role in "The Cooler" and has received several Golden Globe and Emmy awards for his role in the comedy series "30 Rock".
