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Alec Baldwin is facing a mounting wave of legal action related to the Rust on-set shooting of Halyna Hutchins.

Late last year he was named at the centre of two lawsuits. The first was by Rust gaffer Serge Svetnoy, who filed a complaint of general negligence against the production, the financiers, Baldwin, armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, first Assistant Director David Halls, and others.

Script supervisor Mamie Mitchell also went the legal route, alleging that “Mr. Baldwin chose to play Russian Roulette with a loaded gun without checking it and without having the armorer do so.”

Cherlyn Schaefer, the key medic on set, filed a suit last year.

All of a sudden, Baldwin claimed he never actually pulled the trigger of the gun that shot and killed Hutchins.

Now Hutchins’ family has joined the legal wrangling, announcing yesterday that they have filed a lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved in the film.

Hutchins’ family alleges that reckless behaviour and cost-cutting led to her death, reports Variety:

The lawsuit, filed in New Mexico, cites text messages and emails sent by Lane Luper, the camera assistant who raised red flags about accidental discharges on set, and who left the production with several others just before Hutchins’ death.

The suit also alleges that Baldwin violated numerous rules for the safe handling of firearms. It also suggests that Baldwin committed reckless discharge of a deadly weapon, “which is a criminal offense in the State of New Mexico.”

As things stand, Baldwin isn’t facing any criminal charges, although a local prosecutor hasn’t ruled that out.

It’s likely to be at least 18 months to two years before the lawsuit goes to trial so there’s no quick fix here.

Lawyer Brian Panish, who represents Hutchins’ estate, showed a video during the press conference. It included a “recreation of the shooting using computer animation, along with supporting material laying out the allegations of negligence”.

Here’s that video:

Over on Instagram, Baldwin posted a not so cryptic message:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alec Baldwin (@alecbaldwininsta)

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigation into the shooting continues.

Baldwin’s legal team issued a strongly-worded denial to the latest lawsuit, reports Sky News:

[His lawyer] said they continue to cooperate with authorities and denied any suggestion the actor was negligent.

“Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false,” said Aaron Dyer.

“He, 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.”

Gutierrez Reed, the armourer, has filed a suit of her own against an ammo supplier. She claimed it included live ammunition in a box that was supposed to contain only dummy rounds.

[sources:variety&sky]