After a cameraman died while filming a movie with Hollywood star Alec Baldwin, an American occupational safety and health agency fined her for failing to be safe on set. Producers of the western “Rust” have to pay a maximum fine of just under $137,000 (€126,816.63), officials in Santa Fe, New Mexico, announced on Wednesday.
A month-long investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the film in October 2021 has uncovered violations of safety regulations, he said. The authority accuses the producers of violating safety protocols for the use of weapons. For example, there should never have been “live ammunition” at the scene or a gun should have been pointed at a person, the investigation report said. The “tragic incident” could have been avoided.
Fatal shot on set
While filming the low-budget western “Rust” at a movie ranch in Santa Fe, chief cameraman Halyna Hutchins (42) was fatally wounded and director Joel Souza was hit in the shoulder. Baldwin, who served as the film’s lead actor and producer, used the gun in rehearsal for a scene. Investigations revealed that the Colt had a live bullet lodged in it.
Police investigations into how this happened are ongoing. Shortly after the incident, the Public Ministry had declared that criminal prosecution was also possible.
Several civil actions are already pending. In February, the cameraman’s relatives accused Baldwin and other film crew members of gross negligence in a wrongful death lawsuit. A young gunsmith sued a man who provided props, including ammunition, for the footage. Lawyers for the master-at-arms in focus triggered the “sabotage” in November. Someone could have put a live ammunition round in a box of harmless fake cartridges to sabotage the footage.
Baldwin has repeatedly denied responsibility for Hutchins’ death in interviews. It was a “horrific tragedy” but he was not responsible for the fatal accident, his lawyer said in a letter in March. Other people were responsible for the security of the props.