Americans were shocked in October of 2021 to learn that left-wing Hollywood star Alec Baldwin fatally shot a woman while filming a movie.

While Baldwin escaped criminal charges for nearly 15 months following the tragedy, that changed this week.

Baldwin hit with two counts of involuntary manslaughter

According to the Los Angeles Times, New Mexico’s First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced on Thursday that Baldwin is being indicted on two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Those charges stem from the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot by Baldwin as he was rehearsing a scene for the movie "Rust." Film director Joel Souza was also wounded in the incident.

What's more, Carmack-Altwies is also charging movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed while assistant director David Halls has accepted a misdemeanor plea agreement. Hall handed a revolver to Baldwin that turned out to be loaded with a round of live ammunition.

The Telegraph quoted a statement from Carmack-Altwies in which she said that Baldwin would be issued with a court summons in the coming weeks rather than being targeted for arrest.

Baldwin and Gutierrez's case will be handled by special prosecutor Andrea Reeb, who put out a statement of her own.

"If any one of these three people - Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls - had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple," Reeb declared.

"The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set," she continued. "In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously."

The Telegraph reported that Baldwin's prosecution is supported by Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, who said, "It is a comfort that, in New Mexico, no one is above the law."

The actor is known for anti-gun politics

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times quoted Baldwin's attorney Luke Nikas as insisting that the charges represent a "terrible miscarriage of justice" as his client "had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set."

"He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds," Nikas added, stressing, "We will fight these charges, and we will win."

Ironically, Baldwin has long been a vocal advocate for gun control who has been harshly critical of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Newsweek noted that in 2018 the actor lashed out at a former NRA spokeswoman in a since-deleted tweet, accusing her of not caring "how many dead bodies she has to step over."