Alec Baldwin Dodges Bullet As Rust On-Set Medic Excludes Him From Lawsuit Filed Against Film’s Production Team
Rust movie on-set medic Cherlyn Shaefer has filed a lawsuit against the film’s producers and crew members over the tragic shooting that ended with the life of Director of Photography Halyna Hutchins and injured Director Joel Souza.
Surprisingly, Alec Baldwin’s name is not mentioned as a defendant in the legal documents – despite the actor being the one holding the gun when it went off.
Shaefer was the medic who helped Hutchins when she was shot on the film’s set, and the 29-page lawsuit she’s recently filed cites Assistant Director David Halls, Armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Props Manager Sarah Zachry, firearm supplier Seth Kenney, Rust Movie Productions, LLC, and the Bonanza Creek Ranch where the film was being shot as defendants.
As per the suit, the on-set medic claims that “Gutierrez Reed loaded the revolver with the round containing the bullet that killed [cinematographer] Halyna Hutchins,” further alleging, “Zachry assisted Hannah Gutierrez Reed in handling the revolver prior to the rehearsal.”
Shaefer also mentions that prior to the filming of Rust, Gutierrez-Reed’s father, Thell Reed, “brought Seth Kenney an ‘ammo can’ full of live rounds for the training” of actors in other movie.
These live rounds Reed brought Kelley were allegedly “not factory made rounds,” with the lawsuit further claiming that the bullets used on-set were “reloaded rounds” that, once the other film’s production ended, were taken by Kenney to the Rust set in New Mexico.
“The round that struck Halyna Hutchins was a reloaded round,” the lawsuit declares.
The suit also states that Gutierrez-Reed “knew or should have known how to distinguish live round from a dummy round,” – which the filing explains as a round containing “rounds contain “one or more BBs” which make sound when shaken – and that she also should’ve known that “she was loading a live round of ammunition into the revolver” that killed Halyna Hutchins.
“Prior to the rehearsal where Halyna Hutchins was shot, Hannah Gutierrez Reed loaded the revolver with dummy rounds and at least one round of live ammunition,” the suit continues.
Bonanza Creek Ranch representative Shannon Hughes is also named on the recently filed legal document, accused by the medic of not enforcing the ranch’s rules that stipulate, “Unauthorized alcohol, illegal drugs (including marijuana), explosives, and personal firearms are prohibited.”
The suit states, “Bonanza Creek Ranch’s Rules do not prohibit invitees from bringing live ammunition onto the premises,” but it does “prohibit invitees to bring firearms onto the premises.”
Further, the documents also indicate that Hughes “was physically present at the Ranch the majority of the time Rust was being filmed to ensure that the Ranch’ real property was being safely used in compliance with the Ranch’s own rules and requirements.”
“In fact, despite her actual knowledge of the prohibited and unsafe use of firearms on the Ranch premises,” alleges the suit, “defendant Shannon Hughes never intervened to stop the dangerous and unsafe events from taking place on the Ranch’s real property.”
Further, Shaefer asserts that she has has suffered trauma and emotional distress after treating the gun shot injuries sustained by Hutchins and Souza.
“After determining Halyna Hutchins suffered more serious wounds than Joel Souza, Cherlyn Schaefer first provided immediate emergency medical assistance to Halyna Hutchins,” detailed the document, before declaring that the on-set medic “fought desperately to save Halyna Hutchins’ life, putting pressure on her wounds, giving her oxygen, checking her vitals.”
“Cherlyn Schaefer has suffered tremendous shock, trauma, and severe emotional distress as a result of the actions and inaction of all Defendants,” the suit elaborates. “Cheryln Shaefer’s trauma and severe emotional distress has affected all aspects of her life and has medically prevented her from returning to her chosen profession.”
As per the legal document, Schaefer “has been medically disqualified from returning to work or any other form of gainful employment since the shooting,” and she “is currently under the ongoing medical care and treatment of qualified medical professionals, including therapists and others.”
While Baldwin was not named as a defendant in Schaefer’s recently filed lawsuit, a separate lawsuit filed by Rust script supervisor Mamie Mitchell has accused the actor of being directly responsible for killing Hutchins and injuring Souza.
Mitchell’s legal complaint claims that Baldwin, “intentionally, without just cause or excuse, cocked and fired the loaded gun even though the upcoming scene to be filmed did not call for the cocking and firing of the firearm.”
The document also asserts that the disgraced actor “should have assumed that the gun in question was loaded unless and until it was demonstrated to him or checked by him that it was not loaded.”
Last month, Baldwin was hit with a separate $25 million defamation lawsuit, unrelated to the shooting on the set of Rust, for allegedly insinuating that the Roice McCollum, sister of fallen U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, had participated in the Capitol Hill riots of January 6th, 2021.
Baldwin had initially reached out to McCollum’s sister Roice and gave her $5,000 with the instruction to give the cheque to the the soldier’s surviving wife, Jiennah Crayton, in order to help the widow with her newborn daughter.
However, after Roice shared a series of photos to her Instagram showing her at the Capitol and the Washington Monument protests on January 6th, 2021 prior to the day’s later violence, Baldwin messaged her,”When I sent the $ for your late brother, out of real respect for his service to this country, I didn’t know you were a January 6th rioter.”
McCollum replied, “Protesting is perfectly legal in the country and I’ve already had my sit down with the FBI. Thanks, have a nice day!”
“I don’t think so,” Baldwin fired back. “Your activities resulted in the unlawful destruction of government property, the death of a law enforcement officer, an assault on the certification of the presidential election.”
Filed by McCollum, the defamation suit asserts that “During the rioting, [Roice] was stuck in place outside the Capitol Building next to multiple police officers for hours after the rioting began due to the fact that so many people were around her and the area had been locked down. Later, a neighbor who was unhappy that Roice attended the demonstration turned her into the authorities.”
“Baldwin’s conduct was negligent and reckless as he should have known that making the allegations he did against plaintiffs to his millions of followers would cause plaintiffs harm,” it adds. “Baldwin’s comments were false, outrageous, defamatory, irresponsible, vindictive and caused – and continue to cause — plaintiffs severe emotional distress.”
It further notes that “instead of being able to focus on grieving LCPL McCollum’s death and raising his newborn daughter, plaintiffs and their family are now fearful for their lives.”
What do you make of Rust on-set medic leaving Baldwin out of her lawsuit against the film’s producers and crew members? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below or on social media.
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