'Rust' Crew Member Sues Alec Baldwin, Others over Fatal On-Set Shooting
A crew member of the movie Rust is suing Alec Baldwin and other people associated with the indie western film, claiming the defendants’ alleged negligence surrounding the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has caused him severe emotional distress.
In a claim that is bound to draw attention, the suit, which was first reported by TMZ, alleges the scene being rehearsed did not require Baldwin to fire the gun.
The lawsuit was filed by Serge Svetnoy, who worked as the key gaffer on Rust. In addition to Baldwin, who was a producer on the movie, Svetnoy is suing the production’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, prop master Sarah Zachry, and assistant director Dave Halls.
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Svetnoy alleges the bullet that struck both Hutchins and director Joel Souza almost hit him — missing by “an inch or two, possibly less.” He also claims he was one of the first people to tend to Halyna after she was shot, trying to keep her conscious.
The suit states the scene in question required Baldwin to pull the .45 Colt Revolver from his holster and point it in the general direction of the camera. “The scene did not call for Defendant Baldwin to shoot the Colt, which should not have contained any live ammunition,” the complaint alleges.
The gun allegedly went off as Baldwin was practicing his moves for the scene. The complaint describes it as “the loudest gunshot he [Svetnoy] has ever experienced on a movie set.”
Svetnoy claims Baldwin failed to double-check the Colt Revolver with assistant director Halls to ensure that it did not contain live ammunition. He also alleges the prop master and armorer both failed to properly inspect the gun.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer, has suggested someone put a live round in the gun. The Santa Fe district attorney who is leading the investigation, has reportedly stated there is no proof of foul play. DA Mary Carmack-Altwies told Good Morning America on Wednesday that she knows who loaded the live round into the gun.
As Breitbart News reported, Matthew Hutchins — the husband of the late Halyna Hutchins — has hired a Los Angeles law firm that specializes in wrongful death lawsuits.
Alec Baldwin has called for movie and TV productions to have a police officer on set to oversee the use of guns both real and fake.
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