What does the Bible say about accidental manslaughter?

Update: Shortly after this article was published, the case against Alec Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be brought to trial again. The dismissal was due to the revelation that prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense team that could have potentially been favorable to Baldwin. And while we’ll never know if a jury would have determined if Baldwin was guilty or innocent, as you’ll read below the Bible does offer some insightful wisdom on how Christians should discern instances of accidental manslaughter and negligence.

Alec Baldwin is an American actor known best for his roles in The Hunt for the Red October and Beetlejuice in his early career and, peculiarly, for his star role in Boss Baby in recent years. He’s acted in other blockbusters, like Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation, and other acclaimed films, like The Departed. The scope of his career, from comedy to action, movies to TV, is impressive.

He’s been the center of media attention for an accident on a movie set in 2021, which led to the death of the film’s cinematographer and the injury of its director. What happened on the set, why is there a trial over the accident now, and what does this tragic accident teach us about God’s justice?

What did Alec Baldwin do?

In 2021, he was on the set of the Western drama Rust. He was given a Colt Revolver and told that it was “cold,” meaning it had blanks or no rounds at all. The gun went off after he pointed it at Halyna Hutchins, and she died. Hutchins was a Ukrainian American cinematographer working on the set with a promising and fruitful career. She left behind a husband and child.

This tragic accident in 2021 led to the conviction of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapon handler on the set, with involuntary manslaughter. She is supposed to serve 18 months in prison—the maximum sentence—although she is in the process of appealing that ruling.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Baldwin called the event a “tragic accident” and claimed he was in touch with Hutchins’ husband and family. However, her family alleged, through their attorneys in 2023, that he never apologized. Baldwin has maintained that the event wasn’t his fault. Not only was he led to believe there were no live rounds in the gun, but he also claimed he didn’t pull the trigger.

What will the Alec Baldwin case center around?

Most likely, the case will revolve around whether Baldwin fired the gun, and prosecutors will probably aim to charge him with “negligent use of a firearm” if they can prove to the jury that he did. Baldwin’s defense team will also argue it was “not Baldwin’s responsibility to ensure the safety of firearms on set.” The prosecutors say the gun was fully functional, but the defense argues it misfired in Baldwin’s hand. Previously, the FBI had tested the weapon as a part of their investigation, but their testing seriously tampered with the evidence. The case will continue to develop and is ongoing at the time of this article’s publication.

What does the Bible say about accidental killings?

When I covered an update to Alex Jones’s court ruling on his debts, I focused on the eternality of justice and how, though often slow and highly flawed, US law  strives to achieve this long-term view. Instead of focusing on the longevity of justice, let’s narrow it down to more specific wisdom from the Bible.

The “City of Refuge” is a concept in the Old Testament that protects accidental murderers from the revenge of the dead person’s family and friends. In Joshua, the Lord said, “Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.” (20:2-3) This law is repeated in Deuteronomy (19:1-10), Exodus (21:13), and Numbers (35:22-25), so it was clearly a priority among God’s people. Protecting the accused and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty are all wise principles. However, it’s easy to forget that basic truth in the sensationalized media of the modern world.

Negligence and accidental manslaughter in the Bible

There is also a surprisingly profound source of wisdom in Exodus 21:28-29.

When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

Modern Americans are unlikely to own oxen. However, this passage more broadly deals with negligence and accidental manslaughter. If someone has knowledge of something in their responsibility that’s a danger to others, and does nothing to prevent it, they are responsible for that danger—even if it’s an accident. On the other hand, if it’s an unpredictable accident, the person isn’t guilty.

Baldwin’s case and biblical wisdom

So, what about Baldwin’s case? This is precisely what the court will be deciding on: Was it his responsibility not to endanger Hutchins with the firearm, even though it was clearly an accident? They will consider numerous angles, including the very specific norms and cultural context of a Hollywood set—much like the Old Testament deals with the specifics of the Israelite’s context of ancient, agrarian farming.

Even this rich wisdom from the law does not give the full picture. For we’ve all sinned, “on purpose” and “accidentally,” without intention and deliberately. Yet God’s grace covers all, and whether Baldwin is found innocent or guilty, the tragic death of Hutchins can be covered by God’s grace. It is a free gift for Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed to accept.

Consider praying for comfort, peace, and justice for Hutchin’s family and her parents, who still live in Ukraine.

And for yourself, ask God, where do you need his grace for negligence?