Four months after the on-set shooting incident that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead, her family is moving forward (according to The Hollywood Reporter) with a wrongful death lawsuit against actor Alec Baldwin and others associated with the production of the film.
On Oct. 21st of last year, Hutchins was killed after Baldwin allegedly discharged a gun that had been mistakenly loaded with live ammunition. The accidental discharge also left director Joel Souza injured. In the months since, multiple lawsuits and investigations have been filed to determine who exactly is at fault for Hutchins’ death with Baldwin giving interviews detailing his memories of the incident, including his belief that the weapon was “cold,” i.e. not loaded with real bullets. There’s been criticism from industry insiders — and people involved with the production — alleging corners were cut to save costs, which might have led to negligence on set. Still, Hutchins’ family had yet to publicly weigh in on the argument of who is at fault for her death, until now.
The family’s attorney, Brian Panish, held a press conference at his law firm’s office in downtown L.A. that was also live-streamed to members of the press. Panish announced the family’s intention to file a wrongful death lawsuit in New Mexico against Baldwin and “others responsible for the safety on set whose reckless behavior” led to Hutchins’ “senseless and tragic death.” The firm also shared a 3D rendering of the shooting that included narrated video showing texts and emails from crewmembers complaining about the lack of safety precautions on set. The suit claims that 15 industry standards were disregarded which directly led to Hutchins’ death. Panish singled out Baldwin for using a revolver to rehearse the shot and the assistant director who gave Baldwin the gun without the armorer on the set present. Though Panish said that Baldwin holds a greater responsibility for Hutchins’ death because he was the one operating the weapon that killed her, the suit also names producers, armorers, prop masters, and assistant directors involved with the film, claiming they share liability for the tragedy.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)