Mimee Mitchell, the script supervisor for the film "Rust," stated in a lawsuit on Wednesday that the script never included gunfire from a gun during the scene that actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing when he accidentally shot a cinematographer last month. Mitchell claims that Baldwin should have personally verified that the gun did not contain live ammunition and should not have solely relied on the assistant director’s assurance that the gun was safe to use.
Gloria Allred, Mitchell's attorney, said at a press conference, "We believe Mr. Baldwin chose to play Russian roulette when he used a gun without checking it and without asking an expert on weapons to do so in his presence." Mitchell, who was in the line of fire, alleges that there was intent to assault and cause harm, and she is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Mitchell stated that she made an emergency call to authorities immediately after the incident that occurred on October 21, saying, "I replay the shooting scene and the sound of the gunfire over and over." This is the second lawsuit related to the incident that names Baldwin and the film's producers, assistant director Dave Halls, and firearms expert Hannah Gutierrez, who was responsible for the weapons used in the film.
Representatives for Baldwin, the film producers, and Halls have not yet responded to requests for comment, according to Reuters. A lawyer representing Gutierrez stated that he has not yet reviewed the lawsuit. Baldwin has previously stated that his heart is broken and that he is cooperating with a law enforcement investigation. The production company is also conducting its own investigation.
Authorities in New Mexico are investigating how a live bullet ended up in the gun that Baldwin was using while rehearsing the scene in a church near Santa Fe. No criminal charges have been filed. Investigators indicated that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed, and director Joel Souza was injured when a live round fired from a gun that Baldwin was told was safe. Other live rounds were found at the filming location.
The lawsuit states that the script for "Rust" included three close-up camera shots of Baldwin during the rehearsal, one of which focuses on Baldwin's eyes, the second on a blood spot, and the third on Baldwin’s torso as he pulls the gun. The lawsuit asserts that Baldwin "pulled the trigger intentionally and fired the gun loaded with live ammunition without reason or justification even though the next scene did not call for gunfire."
Allred expressed her belief that Baldwin's behavior on set was "reckless" and claimed that other safety protocols had been violated or ignored. Last week, another lawsuit was filed against the producers alleging negligence.
