Update: Alec Baldwin Facing New Civil Suit over "Rust" Shooting

[JamesG]

Alec Baldwin Shares “Shock and Sadness” Over Deadly Set Shooting
by Ryan Parker
Oct. 22, 2021


Alec Baldwin on Friday expressed his “shock and sadness” over an incident on the set of his film, Rust, where a gun he was handling misfired, killing the cinematographer and wounding the director.

Director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, died after being injured Thursday when the prop gun was “discharged” by Baldwin, the Western’s producer and star. Hutchins had been transported by helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred,” Baldwin said via Twitter. “I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”





The second victim was the film’s director, Joel Souza, 48, who was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. His condition was not released.

An update on the investigation will likely not occur until next week, Juan Ríos, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, as interviews are ongoing and evidence is being collected. Baldwin was interviewed Thursday by investigators at the sheriff’s department, Ríos said.





A spokesperson from Rust said in a statement:

“The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mo...ng-1235035357/

[JamesG]

The Lee Family Speaks Out after Alec Baldwin Movie Shooting
by Nick Romano
October 22, 2021


The family of late actor Brandon Lee released a statement after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died and director Joel Souza was injured when a prop gun was fired on the set of the movie Rust.

The actor died in 1993 from wounds sustained by a prop gun on the set of his movie The Crow. He had finished filming most of his scenes as the lead character Eric Draven in that dark action-fantasy, and the movie was posthumously released in 1994.

"Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust,'" Lee's family tweeted. "No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period."

https://ew.com/movies/brandon-lee-fa...ovie-shooting/

[RetroGuy2000]

So awful to hear this.

[Caroline13]

Horrible Horrible Horrible

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by JamesG

The Lee Family Speaks Out after Alec Baldwin Movie Shooting
by Nick Romano
October 22, 2021


The family of late actor Brandon Lee released a statement after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died and director Joel Souza was injured when a prop gun was fired on the set of the movie Rust.

The actor died in 1993 from wounds sustained by a prop gun on the set of his movie The Crow. He had finished filming most of his scenes as the lead character Eric Draven in that dark action-fantasy, and the movie was posthumously released in 1994.

"Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust,'" Lee's family tweeted. "No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period."

https://ew.com/movies/brandon-lee-fa...ovie-shooting/

A lot of people believe that Brandon Lee and the shooter were set up so Brandon Lee could be murdered as revenge against the late Bruce Lee.

[TMC]

How a prop gun using blanks on a TV or movie set can still fire a fatal shot

In wake of Alec Baldwin firing a prop gun Thursday on the set of his movie Rust, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza, The Wrap's Ross A. Lincoln explains how a prop gun can be deadly. The union IATSE says the gun contained a "live single round." "As is often the case after such events, there’s a lot of confusion about what, exactly happened," says Lincoln. "If the gun was filled with blanks, how on earth could someone be killed? How can a 'prop' gun be deadly. Was a crime committed? We’ll attempt to answer those questions here. Of course, we must also stress that the details of the tragedy on the Rust set are far from complete and it will be days, if not weeks before, we know the full story. First, it’s important to understand what the term 'prop gun' means in this context. People tend to assume it refers to non-functional weapons of the sort used in theatrical performances, or toy guns that fire caps to produce smoke. And while it’s true that those are also prop guns, the term also applies to real guns that are used as props. The reason a production would use a real gun is simple: Verisimilitude. As firearms instructor Dave Brown wrote for American Cinematographer magazine in 2019, real firearms add authenticity to close-up shots in particular. Anyone who’s ever held a gun can confirm that a real gun looks, weighs and handles different from an inert prop. But, Brown noted, they also require experts on set to make sure they’re properly handled at all times. That’s because a gun is still a gun, regardless of what’s in it. And that brings us to how a gun loaded with blanks can kill someone. The term 'blank’ is a shorthand version of the full term, blank cartridge. Notice I said cartridge and not bullet. A cartridge is a unit of ammunition fed into the barrel of a gun comprised of several parts: The casing (sometimes called a shell); propellant material (gunpowder) inside the shell; a primer on the bottom of the cartridge; and at the tip of the cartridge, the actual projectile (bullet) itself."

ALSO:

• Emmy-winning 24 and The Orville director Jon Cassar discusses on-set gun safety precautions and explains why TV and movie productions continue to use real guns: "Why productions continue to use real guns is because it is a more real experience for the actors and it looks real," Cassar tweeted. "Fake prop guns that shoot a little flame don’t recoil, don’t have the flame and smoke effect, the huge blast sound and don’t eject shells like real guns. It’s the same reason why we still do real stunts. They’re more dangerous but they look and feel real compared to CGI. But if all safety protocols are adhered to, no one should ever get hurt although accidents can happen. And in the hundreds of scenes I’ve done with guns I’ve always made sure the guns being used for rehearsals are empty. The safety protocols for handling guns on set work if you make sure they adhered to. There are hundreds of productions every day that are dealing with guns and big action stunts. A huge majority of them are safe but some that don't follow the guidelines and people get hurt."

Assistant director involved in Alec Baldwin movie set shooting accused of allowing unsafe working conditions on Hulu's Into the Dark

According to court records, Rust movie first assistant director Dave Halls handed Baldwin the gun that the actor used to accidentally shoot and kill cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Before handing Baldwin the gun, Halls yelled "cold gun" to indicate that it was safe to use. Prop maker Maggie Goll says when she worked with Halls on the Hulu anthology series Into the Dark in 2019, alleging that he allowed an unsafe work environment. The job of the first assistant director is to ensure the safety of the set. "He did not maintain a safe working environment," Goll said in a detailed statement to NBC News. "Sets were almost always allowed to become increasingly claustrophobic, no established fire lanes, exits blocked ... safety meetings were nonexistent." Halls has yet to speak out on the Rust incident.

[TMC]

Alec Baldwin tells George Stephanopoulos on Rust shooting: "The trigger wasn’t pulled. I did not pull the trigger"

“No, no, no, no, no, I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them," Baldwin says in a preview of 20/20's special interview airing Thursday night.

Alec Baldwin will discuss the Rust shooting for the first time in a 20/20 primetime special

Baldwin sat down with George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday for the 20/20 special airing Thursday night at 8 p.m. to discuss the shooting accident that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead on the set of the movie Rust in New Mexico on Oct. 21. ABC News also announced 20/20 will devote a two-hour special on Dec. 10 to the deadly shooting. “I’ve done thousands of interviews in the last twenty years at ABC,” Stephanopoulos said this morning on Good Morning America. “This was the most intense I’ve ever experienced. So raw. As you can imagine he’s devastated but he was also very candid, he was very forthcoming. He answered every question, he talked about Halyna Hutchins, talked about meeting with her family as well. (He) went through in detail what happened on the set that day and I have to tell you I was surprised in many places over the course of that hour and twenty minutes we sat down yesterday.”

[TMC]

Alec Baldwin, 'Rust' crew sued for wrongful death by Halyna Hutchins's family

Taryn Ryder·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
Tue, February 15, 2022, 11:28 AM

Halyna Hutchins's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Tuesday against Alec Baldwin and others whose "reckless behavior and cost-cutting" on Rust led to her "senseless and tragic death." The lawsuit was filed in New Mexico on behalf of Matthew Hutchins, Halyna's husband of 16 years, and their 9-year-old son. Baldwin is denying fault through his attorney.

Attorney Brian Panish held a press conference in Los Angeles after officially filing the lawsuit on behalf of the Hutchins family. He called out Baldwin and other producers "for numerous violations" of industry safety standards on set. A 3D video was played for the media that Panish claimed was a reenactment of the shooting. He said they undertook their own investigation and spoke to a number of witnesses who revealed what happened on Oct. 21, when Hutchins was killed after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged.

Panish said they are seeking "substantial" and "fair" compensation as Matthew "lost his long-term wife who was the love of his life, and his son has lost a mother."

"It is a young boy who will never have a mother," Panish said during a Q&A. "We need to hold the people responsible that engaged in this cost-cutting and reckless behavior causing this senseless death... it never should have happened."

Panish noted they "have found no evidence" of sabotage, as attorneys for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed initially suggested. He added it's still being looked at how a live round ended up on set.

"Alec had the gun in his hand, he shot it, Halyna was killed," Panish said. "The gun cannot fire unless the trigger is engaged and the hammer is back."

During an interview with ABC News, Baldwin said he does not feel like he's responsible for Hutchins's death and claimed he didn't pull the trigger.

"We don't think the weapon is what caused this," Panish added. "The weapon was made to fire — it fired."

When asked if Baldwin is the person "most culpable," Panish said there are "many people culpable" before singling out the actor and Rust producer.

"Mr. Baldwin was the person holding the weapon that, but for him shooting it, she would not have died. So clearly, he has significant portion of liability but there are others and that's what this case is gonna be about," Panish continued.

The complaint alleges that at least 15 industry standards were disregarded on set, like how Baldwin did not accept the revolver from the armorer and that industry standards require him to use a replica gun or rubber prop gun whenever possible. Other defendants in the complaint include Gutierrez-Reed; props master Sarah Zachry; armorer assistant Seth Kenney; first assistant director David Halls and other producers.

Baldwin previously said he expected a wrongful death lawsuit to be filed by Hutchins's widow. Baldwin's attorney Aaron Dyer, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, said on Tuesday afternoon "any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false."

"Everyone's hearts and thoughts remain with Halyna's family as they continue to process this unspeakable tragedy," Dyer, who represents Baldwin and other Rust producers, tells Yahoo Entertainment. "We continue to cooperate with the authorities to determine how live ammunition arrived on the Rust set in the first place."

No criminal charges have been filed against Baldwin or anyone involved in the case.

"[Baldwin], Halyna and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun that it was a 'cold gun' – meaning there is no possibility of a discharge, blank or otherwise," the statement continued. "This protocol has worked on thousands of films, with millions of discharges, as there has never before been an incident on a set where an actual bullet harmed anyone. Actors should be able to rely on armorers and prop department professionals, as well as assistant directors, rather than deciding on their own when a gun is safe to use."

[TMC]

Halyna Hutchins' husband slams Alec Baldwin in a Today interview

Matthew Hutchins, the widower of the late Rust cinematographer, told Hoda Kotb he's "angry" at Baldwin for denying he was responsible for her death. "Watching him, I just felt so angry," Matthew Hutchins said in the interview when asked about Baldwin's sitdown ABC News interview with George Stephanopoulos, in which the actor said he did not feel guilty about the incident. "I was just so angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way and then to not accept any responsibility after having just described killing her."

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by Wawwie

A lot of people believe that Brandon Lee and the shooter were set up so Brandon Lee could be murdered as revenge against the late Bruce Lee.

A lot of people are stupid.

Brandon Lee's death was a one in a million freak accident.

This woman's death was pure negligence.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Babalu

A lot of people are stupid.

Brandon Lee's death was a one in a million freak accident.

This woman's death was pure negligence.

Brandon Lee's death was also a case of pure negligence. All of this happened because the prop master was sent home to save money. In the end, they only saved a measly $100. The assistant prop master was also at fault because he used real bullets (took the tips off) because they ran out of dummy ones and he also didn't clean the gun. He lost his license and hasn't worked on a film set since.

[Caroline13]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rust-sh...-announcement/

[Dude111]

I heard he has been charged.......

He always seemed suspicious!

[Caroline13]

SOMEONE was NOT doing their job, somehow I don't think it's totally Baldwin's fault, but I'm not on the movie set and what goes on all of them, so many responsible for this and that etc...

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by Caroline13

SOMEONE was NOT doing their job

That someone is Hannah Gutierrez, the armorer.