‘Gun Accident’ Alec Baldwin Faces Civil Lawsuit from Bereaved Family

Civil lawsuit filed again two days after indictment withdrawal
"Responsible for playing a major role in the tragedy"

The family of the cinematographer who died in an accident where a prop gun loaded with live ammunition was fired on a movie set is filing a civil lawsuit against actor Alec Baldwin, who was holding the gun at the time of the incident.

On the 22nd (local time), American entertainment media Deadline reported that Gloria Allred, the attorney representing the parents and siblings of the late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, will proceed with a civil lawsuit again.

The family stated, "Baldwin may pretend he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and firing the live round that took Halyna's life, but in reality, he cannot escape the fact that he played a major role in that tragedy."

The accident occurred on October 21, 2021, during the filming of the low-budget Western movie Rust at a ranch south of Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the time, the prop gun fired by Baldwin was loaded with live ammunition instead of blanks, and Hutchins, who was hit, died, while director Joel Souza was seriously injured.

In response, the New Mexico prosecutor charged Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed with involuntary manslaughter in January of this year. Baldwin was scheduled to appear in court for the first time on February 3.

Alec Baldwin [Image source=Yonhap News]

Baldwin has claimed that the armorer failed to properly check whether live rounds were loaded and that the assistant director told him the gun was loaded with blanks, asserting that he is not responsible for the accident. He also said he did not pull the trigger himself and that the gun seemed to have fired due to a malfunction.

However, on the 20th, the prosecution dropped the charges, meaning Baldwin will not have to stand trial. Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis stated in a press release, "Due to current time constraints and the evidence submitted by previous law enforcement agencies, we cannot proceed with the prosecution," adding, "We are dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin and will conduct further investigation."

They added, "This decision does not exempt Baldwin from criminal responsibility, and charges may be refiled."

The family of the late cinematographer Hutchins had previously filed a civil lawsuit against Baldwin and the film producers but settled and closed the case in October last year. Filming, which had been halted after the accident, resumed at a set in Montana.

However, with the cinematographer’s family filing a civil lawsuit again, the issue of liability is bound to be contested.

Meanwhile, CNN, citing sources familiar with the case, reported that during the special prosecutor’s investigation, it was identified that the gun involved in the accident may have been modified to include a potential function that allows a bullet to be fired without pulling the trigger.

The source said, "It is not yet clear which parts of the gun were modified, and an investigation into this will proceed."