Alec Baldwin “played Russian roulette” when he handled a weapon without respecting the safety regulations in force in the film industry. This is the new accusation against him presented yesterday in Los Angeles by Mamie Mitchell, screenwriter of the western “Rust”, on whose set the director of photography was killed on October 21st. Halyna Hutchins from a gunshot fired by the American actor.
“Baldwin had his gun pointed at the camera, he was rehearsing a scene”
by Anna Lombardi
Mitchell is the second person on the crew to file a complaint against Baldwin. The screenwriter claims to suffer from “emotional distress” and other ailments as a result of the damage “intentionally” caused by the production. “The events that led to Mr. Baldwin triggering a loaded pistol are not mere negligence,” Mitchell’s attorney Gloria Allred told a news conference. “On the contrary, from our point of view, Mr. Baldwin chose to play Russian roulette when he activated a weapon without having checked it and without the gunsmith having done so in his presence,” says Allred, who adds: ” His behavior, and that of the producers of “Rust”, were dangerous. “
Also under accusation are the assistant director, David Halls, who had handed the gun to Alec Baldwin, telling him it was harmless, and the gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, in charge of the weapons used by the crew. 24-year-old Gutierrez-Reed has repeatedly stated that she was unaware of the presence of live ammunition on the set.
Baldwin, the assistant director who gave him the loaded gun had been fired for a similar incident
by Massimo Basile
The safety regulations in force in the film industry in the United States require the gunsmith to explicitly show an actor that the weapon is safe and then deliver it directly to him. “Mr. Baldwin knew that that was the rule and that it was not followed. He did not personally check the weapon,” adds the lawyer.
The other person who pointed the finger at Baldwin a week ago is Serge Svetnoy, head of lighting technician, present during the events. In the proceedings Baldwin, Halls, Gutierrez Reed and other defendants are accused of negligence that caused Svetnoy a “severe emotional distress”. In addition to blaming the manufacturers, among other things, for not hiring a competent and experienced gunsmith. The man says he was hit by “waste materials” from the explosion and was narrowly missed by the bullet from the gun the actor was holding.
“The presence of a real bullet in a revolver posed a lethal threat to anyone in its vicinity,” reads the lawsuit, alleging the “failure to implement” industry standards for the custody and control of firearms used. on the set”. Svetnoy believes “that the ammunition used was never safely stored and was simply left unattended on the stage truck”.
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