The wrongful death suit against actor Alec Baldwin continues to expand. In recent weeks, New Mexico prosecutors announced they charged Baldwin with two counts of manslaughter. On Wednesday, the family of now-deceased Halyna Hutchins announced they are initiating a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin.
Halyna died after being shot by a Colt-45 revolver held by Baldwin when rehearsing a scene for the movie “Rust” on set in New Mexico.
Halyna was a reported friend of Baldwin and served as a cinematographer for the Western movie.
The shooting occurred on Oct. 21, 2021.
On Thursday morning, attorney Gloria Allred, known for representing many notable clients, held a press announcement to confirm she is representing Halyna’s parents and sister in a wrongful death suit against Baldwin.
This new suit follows a February 2022 wrongful death suit filed against Baldwin and several production crew members. Halyna’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, filed that suit.
The 2022 suit named Baldwin and those “responsible for the safety on the set” as defendants and charged them with “reckless behavior and cost-cutting” decisions that led to the death of Hutchins.
The suit further claimed that the “Rust” set was “unsafe” and that Baldwin and others were negligent and responsible for “major [safety] breaches.”
On Oct. 5, Hutchins’ attorney announced the civil lawsuit had been settled pending court approval.
In late 2022, prosecutors reviewing the case determined the shooting could have been avoided had proper safety measures and protocols been followed. On Jan. 31, New Mexico, prosecutors charged Baldwin with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
The prosecutor’s filing read:
“Baldwin’s deviation from known standards, practice and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins.
By not receiving the required training on firearms, not checking the firearm with the armorer, letting the armorer leave the firearms in the church without being present, deviating from the practice of only accepting the firearm from the armorer, not dealing with the safety complaints on set and/or making sure safety meetings were held, putting his finger on the trigger of a real firearm when a replica or rubber gun should have been used, pointing the firearms at Hutchins and Souza, and the overall handling of the firearms in a negligent manner, Baldwin acted with willful disregard for the safety of others and in a manner which endangered other people, specifically Hutchins and Souza.”
Assistant director Dave Halls reportedly handed Baldwin the gun fired on set, telling him it was “cold” or safe.
Baldwin maintains he did not pull the gun’s trigger but did pull the hammer back on the weapon.
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