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- Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust on October 21.
- The 42-year-old died due to a gunshot wound she sustained on set.
- The gun, which had live rounds in it, was fired by Alec Baldwin, who was told the gun was safe.
Serge Svetnoy, the “gaffer” (which is the chief lighting technician/head electrician) who was working on Rust when Halyna Hutchins was killed, has filed a lawsuit — the first in connection to the tragedy — that alleges a “desire to cut costs” is what led to unsafe conditions on the set.
According to Svetnoy’s lawsuit, the “desire to cut costs” led producers to “hire an insufficient number of crew members and hire an inexperienced armorer” in Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who has become one of the key figures in the investigation.
Svetnoy alleges that a desire to cut costs by producers led them to hire an insufficient number of crew members and hire an inexperienced armorer in Gutierrez Reed. They failed to send out traditional daily safety bulletins, declined requests for weapons training days, failed to react appropriately to two prior accidental discharges during production, and “did nothing” to stop recreational shooting that happened on set. [via IndieWire]
At this time, the investigation into the tragic death of the 42-year-old Hutchins continues. No arrests have been made. During an appearance on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said that Baldwin, 63, is “the least likely person to have any sort of criminal liability.”
While no charges have been filed, First Assistant Director David Halls and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been at the center of the tragedy, with Halls being the one who handed Baldwin the loaded firearm and told him it was a “cold gun.”
RELATED: Alec Baldwin Disputes Claims That ‘Rust’ Set Was Unsafe
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