Who’s suing who over “Rust” shooting?

Six months on from the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the low-budget western “Rust”, several key players have filed lawsuits against producers and crew


I didn’t pull the trigger
ALEC BALDWIN, ABC TELEVISION INTERVIEW

Movie star and “Rust” producer Alec Baldwin rehearses gun- drawing scene minutes before Halyna Hutchins is fatally shot

Immediately after shooting, investigations are opened by Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, First Judicial District Attorney and New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB)


ACCIDENT
100km 60 miles
Santa Fe 
Albuquerque
NEW MEXICO
Roswell
Rio Grande

BONANZA CREEK RANCH

1 Gutierrez-Reed hands gun to Dave Halls, who passes it to Alec Baldwin saying “cold gun” (not loaded). Halls says he did not thoroughly check gun

2 Baldwin draws gun, pulling hammer partly back with thumb, and points it to side of camera. He releases hammer, which causes gun to fire live round

3 Bullet enters Hutchins’ midriff and exits her back, then lodges in shoulder of writer/director Joel Souza

Hutchins dies on way to hospital. Souza survives

1 2 3

Placement of people is approximate

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
Halyna Hutchins
Dave Halls
Alec Baldwin
Serge Svetnoy
Mamie Mitchell
Joel Souza


OTHER FATAL TV AND MOVIE SET SHOOTINGS

Oct 18, 1984: Actor Jon-Erik Hexum, 26, dies six days after accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound on set of television show, Cover Up

Mar 31, 1993: Actor Brandon Lee, 28, son of martial artist Bruce Lee, is fatally shot in abdomen after gun misfires while on set of The Crow


TIMELINE
= Lawsuit filed

Oct 21, 2021: Halyna Hutchins accidentally shot and killed by Alec Baldwin

Oct 26: Rust Movie Productions, LLC (RMP) hire legal firm Jenner & Block to conduct their own investigation

Oct 27: Sheriff’s Office recovers over 600 items of evidence, including 500 rounds of ammunition – mix of blanks, dummy rounds and suspected live rounds

Nov 10: Head of lighting Serge Svetnoy files general negligence lawsuit against RMP, claiming bullet narrowly missed him and that he held Hutchins’ head as she lay dying

Nov 17: Script super-visor Mamie Mitchell files lawsuit against RMP, claiming scene did not call for firing of gun

Dec 2: In interview with ABC, Baldwin claims he did not pull trigger on gun

Jan 12, 2022: Armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed files law- suit against Seth Kenney and his company PDQ Arm and Prop, for allegedly bringing live rounds to set

Feb 7: “Rust” medic Cherlyn Schaefer files lawsuit against RMP and several crew members

Feb 15: Hutchins’ family file wrongful death suit naming Baldwin, assistant director Dave Halls, Gutierrez-Reed, prop master Sarah Zachry, and others as defendants. Unspecified damages sought

Mar 11: Baldwin demands fellow producers bear his legal fees and other financial costs, claiming his contract insulates him from liability

Apr 20: OHSB fines RMP $136,793*, saying “management knew firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set and demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety”

Further investigations await completion of FBI ballistics report and other key analysis


Sources: BBC, New York Times, Vanity Fair, Hollywood Reporter, ABC News 
Pictures: Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Newscom, Getty Images, IMDb 
© GRAPHIC NEWS