Los Angeles: The family of the cinematographer shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie "Rust" has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the actor and others engaged in the film's production.
The family's lawyers stated during a news conference on Tuesday, February 15, that the lawsuit was filed in New Mexico where the fatal shooting took place.
Their lawyer Brian Panish alleged the "reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures" of Baldwin and the other "Rust" producers had led to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death.
Baldwin was holding a Colt gun during a rehearsal for the Western in New Mexico in October when it discharged a live round, killing Hutchins.
The attorney representing Hutchins' husband Matthew and son Andros also presented a list of "at least 15 industry standards" he said the producers had ignored on set.
These included failure to use a prop gun rather than a live weapon, a lack of individuals qualified to handle weapons on set at the time of the shooting, and lack of protective equipment for crew.
Panish also alleged that Baldwin had "refused" training on cross-drawing the gun. He presented a 3D animated reconstruction of the shooting.
Asked what level of compensation the family would seek, Panish said: "We believe it is going to be substantial."
The family's lawsuit is the latest in a flurry of civil proceedings over the fatal shooting.
In November, the low-budget movie's chief lighting technician Serge Svetnoy sued Baldwin for negligence.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the set's armorer in charge of weapons, last month sued the film's ammunition supplier, accusing him of leaving real bullets among the dummy cartridges.
However, as per US Weekly, during an in-depth interview with ABC News two months after the shooting, Baldwin talked out about the tragedy. "I didn't pull the trigger," he said in December 2021. "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never. I have no idea [how a bullet got in there]. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property." The New York native added that he didn't feel guilty about the tragedy, saying, "I might have killed myself if I felt that I was responsible. I don't say that lightly."