The husband of Halyna Hutchins – the cinematographer killed on the movie set of Rust – says he feels “anger” towards Alec Baldwin, blaming the Hollywood star and numerous safety failings for her death.
Hutchins, 42, was shot dead in October last year while filming the western in New Mexico. Baldwin was holding the prop gun when it went off.
Matt Hutchins told Today on NBC News: “The idea that the person holding the gun and causing it to discharge is not responsible is absurd to me.
Matt Hutchins says he felt ‘angry’ with Alec Baldwin for failing to take responsibility. Pic: NBC
“But gun safety was not the only problem on that set. There were a number of industry standards that were not practised and there’s multiple responsible parties.”
The Hutchins family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and others on the set of the movie Rust earlier this month, alleging that “reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures” led to her death.
Baldwin, who was also one of the film’s producers, has denied accusations that the set was unsafe and says he didn’t pull the trigger.
He has said he was told the gun was “cold” – meaning it was safe to handle, and that he was pointing it at Hutchins at her request.
Less than two months after the tragedy, Baldwin discussed the incident in an interview on ABC News, a move that enraged Mr Hutchins.
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Reconstruction of Rust shooting
Mr Hutchins told NBC: “Watching him I just felt so angry. I was just so angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way and then to not accept any responsibility after having just described killing her.”
Reports that the film set in Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe was “chaotic” or “unprofessional” have been rejected by Baldwin and his lawyers.
The script supervisor, the lead camera operator and the key medic have also filed lawsuits.
Police investigations over the Rust shooting continue
The film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was named as a defendant in those cases and has been blamed by some for the shooting.
Gutierrez Reed has filed her own case against an ammo supplier, claiming it included live ammunition in a box supposed to include only dummy rounds.
An animated video recreating the shooting has also been released, depicting the alleged events that led to the shooting.
Director Joel Souza was also injured during the incident and is recovering.
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The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the incident. No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the shooting.
Hutchins grew up on an army base in the Russian Arctic, where her father served in the navy, before moving to Los Angeles to study film.
She was regarded as one of the industry’s most promising young cinematographers.