Alec Baldwin Sued For Wrongful Death By Halyna Hutchins' Family After Fatal 'Rust' Shooting

Alec Baldwin is facing a lawsuit from the surviving family members of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died in the shooting on the New Mexico set of the movie "Rust."

Lawyers for Hutchins' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in New Mexico Tuesday against the producers of the movie, including Baldwin, who wielded the gun that killed her on Oct. 21, 2021.

During a press conference Tuesday, Brian Panish — a lawyer for Matthew Hutchins, the victim's husband of 16 years, and the couple's 9-year-old son Andros Hutchins — said that Baldwin and the film's producers "were responsible and are responsible for safety on the job site" and that "reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures" led to the cinematographer's death, Us Weekly reported.

The complaint, obtained by People, claimed that Baldwin "recklessly shot and killed" Halyna on the film's set.

The 63-year-old actor and other defendants named in the lawsuit "failed to perform industry standard safety checks and follow basic gun safety rules while using real guns to produce the movie 'Rust,' with fatal consequences," the complaint alleged.

A rep for Baldwin has not yet responded to requests for comment, the outlet noted.

The complaint also claimed that producers could have prevented Halyna's death if they had done their "duty" to protect the safety of all individuals on the set instead of "cutting corners on safety procedures where human lives were at stake, rushing to stay on schedule and ignoring numerous complaints of safety violations."

The family's lawyers claimed that Baldwin and the other crew members disregarded "15 industry standards" for the use of guns on set, including not using a rubber gun and failing to train all of the cast and crew on proper handling of firearms.

"We're used to people coming in from out of town to play cowboy who don't know how to use guns," Randi McGinn, another lawyer representing the Hutchins family, said during the press conference Tuesday. "You don't hand somebody a gun until you give them safety training. … No one should ever die with a real gun on a make-believe movie set."

Halyna's estate and husband are asking for punitive damages to be determined at trial, funeral and burial expenses as well as compensatory damages for "the loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, guidance, training, assistance and moral support" of Halyna, according to the complaint.

In October last year, Baldwin accidentally shot Halyna, 42, as well as director Joel Souza during a camera test at the Bonanza Creek Ranch set in New Mexico. Halyna died from her injuries after being airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital. Souza, 48, survived his injuries.

Two months after the accident, Baldwin sat down for an interview with ABC News where he denied pulling the trigger.

"I didn't pull the trigger," Baldwin said. "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."

Later that month, the actor shared a letter written by the "Rust" crew in defense of the film's production. The letter posted via Instagram claimed allegations that the film's set was a "chaotic, dangerous and exploitative" workplace were "false."