Rust crew member Serge Svetnoy will be filing a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and assistant director Dave Halls, following the shooting tragedy during production that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The incident on the set of Rust occurred when Baldwin fired a prop gun without knowing it contained a live single round, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Production has been indefinitely suspended while an investigation is being conducted by the Santa Fe County Police Department.
There have since been multiple disclosures regarding the specific circumstances of the accident, with immense focus on Gutierrez-Reed and Halls, both of whom were supposed to check the gun. Gutierrez-Reed was reported to have placed the gun, a .45 Colt Revolver, on set and Halls has received scrutiny for not checking the rounds. Both have had similar instances on previous film sets where a firearm was discharged unexpectedly, with Halls having been fired before on the film Freedom's Path after the incident left a crew member injured.
Now, TMZ has reported that Svetnoy will proceed with legal action, suing various members of the film, including Baldwin, Gutierrez-Reed, and Halls for negligence. Svetnoy served as the key gaffer and electrician on the movie. The documents that the tabloid obtained revealed that Svetnoy was almost hit by the bullet Baldwin fired and suffered traumatic distress since the tragedy. The lawsuit is also placing blame on Baldwin due to his negligence as a producer on Rust, stating that not only did "the scene did not call for Defendant Baldwin to shoot the Colt Revolver," but also that "they [the producers] attempted to save money by hiring an insufficient number of crew members to safely handle the props and firearms."
It has been known that prior to the incident, many crew members have lodged complaints and walked off the set because of Rust's poor working environment, such as scheduling breaks and traveling conditions. It has also been revealed that there were many non-union crew members there during the day of the accident. Along with that, the lawsuit exacerbates the claim that many safety protocols were rushed or reduced, including weapons training and target practice, which would have prevented on-set injuries and the death of Hutchins. The investigation continues to be ongoing, and as of now, no charges have been filed.
The circumstances over the passing of Hutchins definitely raise innumerable concerns about how film sets are handled and the dangers that may come about. The tragedy has rallied many people in the industry to advocate for safer working conditions, as well as the banning or limiting of firearms on set. Hopefully, the magnitude of this accident and the consequential aftermath will not only stress the importance of safety on set for crew members, but also prevent incidents like this from ever happening again. More information is soon to come on the Rust lawsuit and the conclusion of the investigation.
Source: TMZ