Alec Baldwin, along with several other producers of the ill-fated movie “Rust”, have filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that would put them at fault for a fatal shooting that took place on set in 2021.
The initial lawsuit, filed by script supervisor Mamie Mitchell — the same person who made the initial 911 call after the incident — claims standard safety protocols were not followed on set and that Baldwin and others’ recklessness was the catalyst for the tragic event.
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On October 21st, Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on set. Director Dave Halls was shot and injured as well.
“Alec Baldwin should have assumed that the gun in question was loaded unless and until it was demonstrated to him or checked by him it was not loaded,” The lawsuit states. “He had no right to rely upon some alleged statement by the Assistant Director that it was a ‘cold gun.’”
Standard procedure for handling firearms on set would have called for Baldwin, as well as many others, to check the gun for live rounds himself.
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Baldwin has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, going so far as to state that he did not pull the trigger and, “would never point a gun at anyone and then pull the trigger.” The motion filed to dismiss the lawsuit paints the incident as tragic but says that there was no ill-intent behind it.
Also under fire for the incident is the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who had only been the head armorer one other time for the movie “The Old Way”. Previously, she has had other incidents involving gun safety, including others on the set of “Rust”, but has refused to take any for what happened.
A decision has not yet been made regarding the future of the lawsuit. Those wishing to view the lawsuit can do so here.
