Alec Baldwin 'Pleased' as He Sees Criminal Charges Dropped in Fatal 'Rust' Shooting

The criminal case against Alec Baldwin over the Oct. 2021 on-set shooting death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is over for the time being.

On Thursday, ABC News reported that the criminal charges first brought against Baldwin, 65, in January have been dropped, citing sources.

The actor and Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were both previously charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors dropped a firearms enhancement charge against both parties in February. Charges against Gutierrez-Reed remain unchanged, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Thursday, Baldwin's attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said: "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 was next scheduled to appear in court on May 3. Back in February, the actor entered a not guilty plea in New Mexico's Santa Fe County First District court and waived his right to to appear in court for his initial hearing in the case.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Special Prosecutors Kari T. Morrissey and Jason J. Lewis said "New facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case against Alexander "Alec" Rae Baldwin, III. Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form."

"We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation. This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going," according to the statement.

The end of the criminal case against Baldwin comes just over one month after special prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced she had stepped down from the case on March 14. Baldwin's legal team filed a motion on Feb. 7 to disqualify her from the case, claiming her dual role as a special prosecutor and a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives was "unconstitutional," according to the motion.

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"After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to step down as special prosecutor in the Rust case," Reeb said in a statement sent to PEOPLE by New Mexico's First Judicial District Attorney. "My priority in this case — and in every case I've prosecuted in my 25-year career — has been justice for the victim."

Baldwin's legal team also recently criticized the civil lawsuit brought against him by Hutchins' family, calling the action "especially misguided" in court documents dated last Thursday.

Hutchins, 42, was shot and killed Oct. 21, 2021, after a prop gun held by Baldwin that turned out to contain live rounds discharged. Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the incident; Baldwin maintains that he did not pull the trigger.

In Oct. 2022, Baldwin and other Rust producers settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins' widower Matthew. Along with the settlement, the team agreed to complete the movie with Matthew now on board as an executive producer, along with Academy Award-nominated producer Grant Hill (The Thin Red Line) and cinematographer Bianca Cline (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) working in Hutchins' place.

Cline is donating her salary from the production to charity in Hutchins' name, while a documentary about the late cinematographer's life and the production of Rust is also in the works, according to a Feb. 14 press release.

Coincidentally, production on Rust resumed in Montana this week, according to the Associated Press.