Settlement Reached in "Rust" Lawsuit over Fatal Shooting

A civil lawsuit linked to the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust" has culminated in a settlement, as indicated by court documents made public on Friday. The case was initiated by three crew members from the production who sought damages for emotional distress from the film's producers, among them Alec Baldwin, who served both as lead actor and co-producer.

The allegations in the lawsuit included claims that the producers neglected industry-standard safety practices, though those involved in the filmmaking denied these accusations. Details surrounding the terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, and attempts to reach the attorneys representing both the producers and the plaintiffs have so far gone unanswered.

One of the plaintiffs, Ross Addiego, was a frontline crew member who witnessed the shooting of Hutchins during a rehearsal back in October 2021 at a filmset ranch near Santa Fe. Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, a charge that was dismissed last year during trial due to claims that evidence crucial to his defense had been withheld by law enforcement.

In a related case, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faced a conviction for involuntary manslaughter, resulting in an 18-month sentence served by May of this year. It was stated that she mistakenly brought live ammunition to the set and neglected fundamental gun safety measures. The incident occurred when Baldwin pointed a gun at Hutchins, resulting in her death and injuring director Joel Souza. Testimonies from Addiego were presented during Gutierrez-Reed’s trial, and he also appeared before the grand jury that indicted Baldwin. The filming of "Rust" eventually wrapped up in Montana and the film was released in theaters this past May.