Nearly three years have passed since the tragic shooting incident on the set of the Western film Rust, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins lost her life and director Joel Souza was injured by a prop gun that Alec Baldwin was handling. The Hollywood actor, age 66, maintains that he was not responsible for the discharge of the firearm, asserting that it was a result of an accidental firing and was unaware that live ammunition was present in the weapon at the time. Charged with a felony count of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the October 2021 tragedy, Baldwin could face a maximum sentence of 18 months behind bars if found guilty.

Despite Baldwin's role as a co-producer on the movie being deemed irrelevant to the case by the presiding judge during a recent pre-trial hearing, the actor's trial has garnered significant public attention as jury selection commenced in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Opening statements for the trial are slated to take place on Wednesday as the courtroom drama unfolds. This legal showdown follows the conviction of the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, for involuntary manslaughter earlier this year, resulting in an 18-month prison term - the maximum penalty for the charge.