On Friday, July 12, the Alec Baldwin Rust case was dismissed over withheld evidence of ammunition found on set. The ammunition “had been turned in to the state several months ago by a witness who claimed it was related to the “Rust” shooting [and] had been put in an entirely different case file and was not handed over to the defense,” according to The New York Times. 

The lead prosecutor, Kari T. Morrissey, stated “It was my impression that they did not match the live rounds from the set of ‘Rust.’” But on Friday, the ammunition was brought to the courtroom and resembled other ammunition that was found on the movie set during the deadly shooting. 

The newly uncovered ammunition is now creating a major legal problem as withheld evidence in this once ongoing case. Due to this, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer examined the ammunition herself on the stand, as well as others such as Troy Teske, and concluded that the case would be dismissed. After the announcement of this news, Baldwin wept while embracing his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, concluding the trial. 

The New York Times reports that “Mr. Baldwin still faces civil lawsuits, including one from Ms. Hutchins’s husband, Matthew Hutchins. Although a settlement was announced in that case, it has not been fully resolved.”

Baldwin was first charged in January of 2023, when during the filming of his movie Rust he shot off what was supposed to be a prop gun. With this single shot, he killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchens and harmed director Joel Souza. The armorer who loaded the gun, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin was also convicted of the same charge.

The future of Baldwin’s career now hangs in the balance. The impact of this incident and the public’s response will undoubtedly affect his career for years to come. How? Only time will tell.