A crew member of the movie Rust has sued actor Alec Baldwin over the on-set shooting last month that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, AP quoted lawyers as saying on Wednesday. The negligence suit also names armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who has claimed through her representatives that she was being 'framed' for Hutchins' death.
Rust's chief lighting technician Serge Svetnoy has stated in the lawsuit that the accidental killing was caused by "negligent acts and omissions" of lead actor and producer Baldwin and others.
The suit, submitted to a Los Angeles court, states, "Simply put, there was no reason for a live bullet to be placed in that .45 Colt revolver or to be present anywhere on the 'Rust' set, and the presence of a bullet in a revolver posed a lethal threat to everyone in its vicinity".
Svetnoy added that he was standing near Hutchins when Baldwin fired the gun on 21 October. "He felt a strange and terrifying whoosh as the bullet flew past him, and he was hit in the face by gunpowder and residual materials", the suit mentions.
The suit describes how he rushed to help his friend as the bullet hit her. "As he held her, he noticed that the hand placed behind her back was becoming wet with her blood. The next 20-30 minutes felt like the longest of plaintiff's life as he tried to aid and comfort Ms. Hutchins, watching helplessly as her consciousness faded inexorably away".
Speaking about the incident, Baldwin had said it was a "one in a trillion episode" and insisted Rust had a "well-oiled crew". However, Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza has spoken of "complacency" on the New Mexico set.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)