Alec Baldwin charges dropped in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting

Alec Baldwin will no longer face manslaughter charges in a shooting on the set of "Rust" which led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, his attorneys said Thursday.

"We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.

This comes hours after it was announced filming could resume this week in Montana.

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Baldwin and the film’s weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were both charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the charge against Gutierrez-Reed would also be dropped.

Baldwin was pointing a pistol at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun when off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has said the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger. An FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.

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"Rust" safety coordinator and assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest in March to a conviction for unsafe handling of a firearm and a suspended sentence of six months of probation.

If Baldwin had been convicted of the involuntary manslaughter and firearms enhancement charges, the "30 Rock" actor would have faced a mandatory five years in jail.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.