Alec Baldwin is once again finding himself in the hot seat over his involvement in the deadly Rust shooting that took place on October 21. This time, Halyna Hutchins’ family is suing him for wrongful death — and they’re claiming he completely lied about not pulling the trigger.
As Perezcious readers know, the cinematographer tragically died last year after a bullet was fired from Alec’s prop gun, killing Halyna and injuring the director Joel Souza. A new lawsuit was just filed by Halyna’s husband Matthew Hutchins and the couple’s 9-year-old son Andros, and in it they named exactly who they think should be held responsible for their loved one’s untimely death.
According to TMZ, the lawsuit begins by pointing out many of the unsafe conditions on the set. This includes the fact that live ammunition was present and that crew allegedly failed to treat the gun as if it were loaded, per safety standards. They also slammed the rushed speed of production for creating an environment that valued saving money over keeping people safe. This included the fact that armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was pulling double-duty as an assistant props master, requiring her to split her time and focus. Many of these allegations have been brought forth by other crew members as well, so, we’re sensing a pattern…
Related: Alec Baldwin Finally Hands Over His Phone To Authorities Investigating Rust Shooting
But what is most noteworthy about this new filing is that the Hutchins’ family is suing Alec, claiming that he fired the revolver that killed the 42-year-old. To set the scene, the new court documents alleged that Baldwin was standing only four feet from the crew during the incident. He allegedly reached over his body with his right hand to grab the gun that was holstered on his left side. He then drew the revolver with a crossbow movement and aimed it right at Halyna while drawing back the hammer. The suit also states that Alec did not check the gun before allegedly firing it. The document continues:
“He released the revolver’s hammer, and — BAM — defendant Baldwin fired the revolver.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, Hutchins’ lawyer added:
“I think it’s clear what happened. Alec had the gun in his hand, he shot it — Halyna was killed. The gun cannot fire unless the trigger is engaged and the hammer is back.”
It’s important to note that in December, during his first formal interview about the incident, the dad of seven insisted that he did not pull the trigger. He wasn’t sure how or why it fired. And yet now Matthew and his family are certain he fired it. Hmm.
A reenactment of the fateful moment can be seen (below), along with some other information about why Alec’s claims about not pulling the trigger may not be accurate.
On another note…
The suit also included text messages between a local camera operator and a producer, in which the crew member complained about the set being “super unsafe.” In alleged messages that you can view HERE, the unnamed individual alleged that three weapons had been discharged on set, saying:
“We’ve now had 3 accidental discharges. This is super unsafe.”
They also included a second text that seemed to refer to a separate question, writing:
“And wrap should be like 30-40 I think.”
The unit production manager then responded:
“Accidental discharge on firearms? Awesome. Sounds good.”
The lawsuit claims this response was written “with callous sarcasm,” claiming that the manager was calling the discharges “awesome.” Maybe that’s true, but it also seems like the producer was condensing two separate thoughts into the same text…
Hear more on the lawyer’s thought process surrounding the case (below).
The armorer and the assistant director, David Halls, have also been named in the lawsuit along with many other people, including multiple production companies and the company that provided the ammunition. Hutchins’ husband and son are asking for unspecified damages, including punitive damages. They’re represented by Panish, Shea, Boyle, Ravipudi LLP.
An investigation is still ongoing in New Mexico, so this is likely not the last legal trouble anyone from the set will face. But what do U think, Perezcious readers?
The post Alec Baldwin Sued For Wrongful Death — Halyna Hutchins' Family Calls BS On Claim He Didn't Fire The Gun appeared first on Perez Hilton.
