The anti-gun actor Alec Baldwin will face off in court with the family of his slain cinematographer. Halyna Hutchins was shot by Baldwin during rehearsals on the set of his new movie ‘Rust’. The “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” suit will aim at how Baldwin might have been able to recognize the gun has live rounds in it had he not refused training and gun safety tips from a member from munitions.
Lawyers for the family announced the lawsuit during a Los Angeles based news conference Tuesday. The suit was filed in the name of Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their son, Andros. The “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” of Baldwin and the film’s producers “led to the death of Halyna Hutchins,” attorney Brian Pannish said during the press conference.
There are at least three other lawsuits filed which are related to the shooting, but this is the first directly tied to one of the two people shot on the “Rust” set, KKTV reported. Lighting technician Serge Svetnoy, the film’s script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, and on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed also have lawsuits pending.
Baldwin stands accused of firing the single bullet that hit and killed Hutchins in New Mexico on October 21. The bullet next exited her body and struck director Joel Souza while the team was filming the Western-themed film. The prop gun was not supposed to be loaded with live rounds and so far, Baldwin denies any culpability for what happened.
The video has Baldwin sitting in a pew in a makeshift church on the set when he fires the gun, which hits Hutchins from 4 feet away.
“I’m hit,” a dying Hutchins said, according to the suit, while Souza cried out in pain.
The footage explains that there are simple ways to tell whether a bullet is live before it is fired. A dummy bullet would have had a hole in it and rattled when someone shook it, while a real bullet lacks the hole and makes no sound, the narrator said.
The lawyers claimed Baldwin refused weapons training on how to perform the cross-draw, which was the type of action he was supposed to do, according to NYP.