‘Rust’ Shooting: Family Attorney Says Alec Baldwin Is ‘Blaming Others’ for Halyna Hutchins’ Death

After filing a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin, the attorney representing Halyna Hutchins’s family, Brian Panish, called out his lack of accountability. On Oct. 21, 2021, Hutchins passed away after Baldwin discharged a firearm which he believed did not have live ammunition on the set of Rust. Since then, the actor maintained that the incident wasn’t his fault.

“He’s not accepting any responsibility,” Brian Panish said on Dan Abrams Live. “[Baldwin] refused any gun safety training, number one. Number two, he pointed a gun at someone on a set. You don’t do that without plexiglass and other precautions. Number three, why were there bullets in the gun to begin with whether they were fake or real? It was only a lineup. There was no intention for him to shoot the weapon. Nobody expected him to do that. Yet he recklessly fired the weapon while pointing it at three people, killed one and injured another.”

This interview comes on the heels of Baldwin’s response to the Rust lawsuit. Baldwin’s attorney, Aaron Dyer, said: “Everyone’s hearts and thoughts remain with Halyna’s family as they continue to process this unspeakable tragedy. We continue to cooperate with the authorities to determine how live ammunition arrived on the Rust set in the first place.”

“He, Halyna, and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun,” said Dyer. “That it was a ‘cold gun.’ Meaning there is no possibility of a discharge, blank, or otherwise. This protocol has worked on thousands of films, with millions of discharges. As there has never before been an incident on a set where an actual bullet harmed anyone. Actors should be able to rely on armorers and prop department professionals, as well as assistant directors, rather than deciding on their own when a gun is safe to use.”

Could Baldwin Be Charged in Rust Shooting?

While criminal charges are reportedly still on the table, police did not file any as of yet. Even so, experts back up the claim that Baldwin could face charges for what happened on the set of Rust. Other potential defendants include armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and Assistant Director David Halls. However, at this time, the investigation remains ongoing.

In addition to Baldwin, the suit claims  El Dorado Pictures, Rust Movie Productions, Short Porch Picture, and others as defendants. It was filed on behalf of Hutchins’s husband, Matthew, and their son.

The statement regarding the Rust suit explained: “Halyna Hutchins deserved to live. The Defendants had the power to prevent her death if they had only held sacrosanct their duty to protect the safety of every individual on a set where firearms were present instead of cutting corners on safety procedures where human lives were at stake, rushing to stay on schedule and ignoring numerous complaints of safety violation.”