Manslaughter Charges Against Alec Baldwin Dropped

Facts

On Thursday, New Mexico prosecutors announced that they are dropping involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.¹
This comes after prosecutors learned that Baldwin's prop gun, a Colt .45 pistol, had been modified with a new trigger in a way that made a misfire more likely, stating that the newly revealed facts "demand further investigation and forensic analysis."²
Baldwin had been filming 'Rust' on a ranch south of Santa Fe when the prop firearm he was pointing at Hutching went off, killing her and injuring director Joel Souza.³
Accused of showing negligent behavior by pointing a real pistol at Hutchins and placing his finger on the trigger, Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in January this year.⁴
Despite this development, Baldwin, who had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and criminal culpability, is not completely absolved as there is potential for charges to be refiled.⁵
In March, the movie's safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to his conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and received a suspended sentence of six months of probation.⁶

Narrative A, as provided by Newsweek. This case has been botched from the get-go. The investigators failed to determine how live bullets ended up on a movie set while turning a blind eye to the fact that live rounds were found in multiple locations, and that firearms had reportedly gone off by accident before this fatal incident. Moreover, the decision to drop the involuntary manslaughter charges raises questions about whether the previous team of prosecutors ever had sufficient evidence before deciding to charge Baldwin.
Narrative B, as provided by The Denver Post. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the firearm, as he relied on the role of professionals whose job it was to ensure safety on set. Though what happened was an incredibly rare tragedy unforeseen by anyone on the film crew, wrongfully indicting people will not provide justice. At the very least, the incident can serve as a reminder that there are no accidents regarding gun violence — there is only a lack of responsibility.