CASE DISMISSED!

Alec Baldwin will not be tried for the killing of Halyna Hutchins. We take a look at the tragedy, the trial and what lies ahead for the actor

- JANICE BECKETT-MSIZA

"HE case is as dramatic and tragic as anything Hollywood could conjure up: a movie set in the desert, a famous actor rehearsing a scene, a gun, a bang then death and chaos.

That fateful day in New Mexico shook the film industry to its core, forced a re-examination of safety laws and resulted in several court cases.

But the eyes of the world were mostly on Alec Baldwin, the actor who held the gun that killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust - and millions were watching when he broke down in court recently.

The criminal case against him was dismissed after the judge found vital evidence had been withheld from his legal team, and a sobbing Alec was free to go.

But the 66-year-old actor's legal woes aren't quite over yet.

The ramifications of what went down on that film set in 2021 continue to be felt - even as the relentless wheel of showbusiness continues to turn.

DISASTER IN THE DESERT

Rust was Alec's passion project: he produced and co-wrote the movie and plays the part of Harland Rust, a hardened outlaw who helps his teenage grandson escape the law.

Twelve days into the movie's three-week film schedule Alec pointed a prop gun at Halyna. The weapon was loaded with live ammunition instead of blanks and Halyna was killed when the gun went off. Director Joel Souza (51) was injured.

Alec maintains he didn't pull the trigger and believed the gun was "cold", movie-speak for safe.

The shooting devastated him. "That Halyna died, that's the worst thing of all," he later told CNN.

"And it was avoidable - it was all so unnecessary! Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (27), the armourer who loaded the gun, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March this year and sentenced to 18 months in prison - the maximum sentence for the charge.