One Year Ago Today (April 29, 2023)…The chief lighting technician for the film Rust” has filed an amended complaint against the movie’s producers and other crew members, including Alec Baldwin, adding two new claims to his suit regarding the fatal 2021 on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a bullet fired by the actor/producer from a prop weapon.
Serge Svetnoy claimed in his original Los Angeles Superior Court suit filed in November 2021 that the shooting “was caused by the negligent acts and omissions” of the multiple defendants. In his amended complaint filed Wednesday, Svetnoy adds causes of action for assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the 65-year-old Baldwin only.
“Defendant Baldwin willfully disregarded the laws of New Mexico when he acted as alleged herein with the loaded Colt revolver,” the amended suit states.
Svetnoy says he felt the bullet whiz by him and that gunpowder and other residual materials struck the right side of his face.
As a result of Baldwin’s “pointing and subsequently discharging the gun towards him, (Svetnoy) has suffered compensable damages including … physical injury and extreme and severe emotional distress,” according to the amended suit, which further states that the actor’s actions were taken with “utter disregard” for the plaintiff’s safety.
Svetnoy was among the first “Rust” crew members to publicly speak out about the Oct. 21, 2021, shooting that killed the 42-year-old Hutchins while Baldwin was helping to prepare camera angles on the film’s set near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The weapon, which was supposed to contain only blank rounds, discharged a lead bullet that struck Hutchins in the chest then lodged in the shoulder of director Joel Souza, now 49.
Svetnoy wrote on social media days later that he witnessed the shooting and comforted the bleeding Hutchins until paramedics arrived. He immediately deemed the shooting an act of negligence, saying the armorer — Hannah Gutierrez Reed — and assistant director David Halls both failed to check the weapon before declaring it safe and passing it to Baldwin.
Gutierrez-Reed and Halls remain co-defendants in the revised complaint. Gutierrez-Reed remains charged with involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death, but the same charges have been dropped against Baldwin.