Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against a number of people involved with the film Rust - accusing them of negligence after giving him a loaded gun that killed the film's cinematographer.
The actor, who was a producer on the film, is suing Rust’s armourer as well as other crew members.
Baldwin’s lawsuit names several crew members, including Seth Kenny, who is said to be the supplier of guns and ammunition on set and first assistant director Dave Halls who handed the gun to Baldwin declared it safe.
Baldwin's lawyer, Luke Nikas, wrote the complaint and said that the crew members had not fulfilled their duty to ensure that safety was maintained on set.
“This tragedy happened because live bullets were delivered to the set and loaded into the gun,” the lawsuit said.
The action accuses the film's armourer of failing to check the bullets of the gun correctly, Halls for failing to check the gun before announcing it was safe and Zachery for failing to ensure the safety of props on set.
It comes after Baldwin was sued by the films script supervisor Mamie Mitchell. She alleged Baldwin and others involved with the film's production caused her severe emotional distress after the shooting.
Mitchell claimed that an incident on set was inevitable due to the set's failure to follow safety protocols.
Baldwin said that while he was a producer on the film, he was not in charge of on-set logistics or hiring.
The incident occurred over a year ago, on 21 October 2021, when Baldwin was practising for a scene on the New Mexico set of Rust when his gun discharged a bullet, striking the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza.
Hutchins died, and Souza was wounded. Baldwin has maintained that he was not responsible for the death of Hutchins.
“There can be no doubt that others have suffered from Cross-Defendants’ negligence far more than Baldwin has,” the lawsuit said.
“Producer Joel Souza was shot in the shoulder and has suffered physical and emotional pain.
"Though by no means comparable, Baldwin must live with the immense grief and the resulting emotional, physical, and financial toll caused by the fact that Cross-Defendants’ negligent conduct, assurances, and supervision put a loaded weapon in his hand and led him, Hutchins, and everyone else on set to believe that his directed use of the weapon was safe.”
Local prosecutors are still reviewing the case and will decide on whether to press criminal charges.
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