Halyna Hutchins was killed on October 21st when a prop gun unexpectedly discharged on set.
Halyna Hutchins’ family continues to seek justice. On Tuesday, February 15th, the late cinematographer’s husband and son, Matthew and Andros, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and other individuals involved in the production of Rust, Us Weekly reports.
“Mr. Baldwin and others were responsible and are responsible for safety on the job site,” Hutchins family attorney Brian Panish said during a press conference earlier today. He added that “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” were what led to Halyna’s untimely and unexpected death.
In case you missed it, the 42-year-old was killed on October 21st of last year, on the Western film set when a prop gun with a live round in the hands of 63-year-old Baldwin discharged, fatally wounding Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Reports reveal that the Beetlejuice star was informed the weapon was “cold,” or without ammunition, before he picked it up, and in a later interview during which he recounted the traumatizing incident, the actor insisted that he “did not pull the trigger.”
“We’re used to people coming in from out of town to play cowboy who don’t know how to use guns,” attorney Randi McGinn said during Tuesday’s press conference. “You don’t hand somebody a gun until you give them safety training… No one should ever die with a real gun on a make-believe movie set.”
According to the Hutchins’ legal team, those that they’re suing “disregarded 15 industry standards for the use of guns on set,” including not using a rubber weapon and failure to train all cast and crew members on proper firearm handling procedures.
In December, Baldwin shared a two-page letter to his Instagram page, defending Rust’s production and honouring the late mother of one’s legacy.
“The descriptions of Rust as a chaotic, dangerous, and exploitative workplace are false and distract from what matters the most: the memory of Halyna Hutchins, and the need to find modern alternatives to outdated industry firearm and safety practices,” it read.
