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Family of woman killed on set of 'Rust' files wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin, others

Halyna Hutchins Rust
Posted at 11:42 AM, Feb 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-15 15:01:03-05

The family of the woman who was shot and killed on the set of "Rust" late last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against actor Alec Baldwin and others involved in the production.

The lawsuit, filed in New Mexico, alleges that Baldwin, the production's assistant director Dave Halls, prop master Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and others involved in the production contributed to the "senseless" death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Hutchins' family and their attorneys announced the lawsuit in a press conference in Los Angeles Tuesday.

Variety reports that the suit claims cost-cutting measures on the set led to the "reckless" behavior that resulted in Hutchins' death.

According to The Associated Press, at least three other lawsuits have been filed over the shooting, but this is the first directly tied to one of the two people shot.

Hutchins died on Oct. 21 when a gun being held by Baldwin discharged a live round. According to Variety, the bullet struck Hutchins in the chest and also hit director Joel Souza.

Hutchins was airlifted to a hospital, where she later died. Souza was hit in the shoulder and recovered.

In the hours before the shooting, seven members of the camera crew walked off the set after raising concerns about safety procedures and other issues with the production.

Baldwin, who was also listed as a producer on "Rust," has maintained that he was not aware the gun that he was holding contained live rounds. In December, he told ABC News that he did not even pull the trigger when the gun discharged.

The incident is still under investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.