Alec Baldwin accused several crew members of Rust of negligence in a new lawsuit after he received a live gun on set that blew up and injured two people, killing cinematographer Halina Hutchins.
Baldwin was practicing drawing an old revolver on his Western Revolver collection Rust On October 21, 2021, when told that the gun was “cold,” she shot Hutchins in the chest and director Joel Souza in the collarbone. The actor, who was also a producer for the film, has maintained his innocence over the incident, though he settled a Hutchin family lawsuit earlier this year.
Baldwin’s lawsuit comes in the form of a cross-cutting complaint after screenwriter Mamie Mitchell sued him for emotional distress last year. Instead, the actor blamed several crew members for the accident, accusing them of negligence for handing him a loaded gun. The lawsuit names Hannah Gutierrez Reed, senior assistant manager Dave Holz, crew member Sarah Zachary, and gun and ammunition supplier Seth Kinney, arguing that everyone failed to maintain safety at the Rust Designation.
“This tragedy occurred because live bullets were delivered to the scene and loaded into the gun,” according to the lawsuit (per New York times). Gutierrez-Reed accuses Halls and Zachry of not checking the gun and bullets properly despite Halls declaring them safe before Baldwin delivered the gun and Zachry responsible for ensuring safety as the group’s prop master. The lawsuit also accuses Kenny of keeping his weapons and ammunition in a “disarray,” citing photos of “random” stored ammunition. Gutierrez Reed and Hals have also been criticized for mismanaging weapons. The lawsuit cites an FBI report detailing live bullets found throughout the set, including on a belt Baldwin was wearing on the day of the accident.
Gutierrez-Reed and Halls have a history of worrisome safety protocols — so much so that several crew members walked out on Rust To protest unsafe working conditions hours before the tragedy. a consequence The report found that Rust He was only 24 years old and Gutierrez Reid’s second gig as a gunsmith. In her first job, Nicolas Cage Western the old way, I’ve made several serious beginner mistakes, including shooting blanks unannounced and carrying too many firearms in an unsafe manner. Meanwhile, Halls was not a novice, and seemed to feel so comfortable as an assistant director that he would often speed through, if not completely skip, meetings during safety meetings.
Baldwin could still face charges for his role in the Hutchins shooting. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office submitted its report to prosecutors last month, though its findings have not been released to the public.
Despite all this, production continued Rust It is scheduled to resume early next year.
