A new civil action has been filed in Los Angeles seeking negligence claims connected to the filming of the movie Rust. The action names Alec Baldwin and others as defendants and comes amid ongoing legal battles stemming from the tragic on-set shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins. The relatives of Hutchins allege negligence and demand accountability from the actor, the films’ gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and the assistant director David Halls, among others. The family’s attorney, Gloria Allred, announced the filing at a press conference, outlining a civil case that mirrors earlier criminal proceedings in New Mexico and broader responsibility claims across the production team.
Ten days earlier, Mary Carmack-Altwies, the district attorney for the Second Judicial District in New Mexico, had filed manslaughter charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed. The charges carry potential penalties of up to several years in prison under state law, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations and the high-profile nature of the case.
Halls entered a plea in connection with a related matter, admitting to negligent use of a deadly weapon and receiving a six-month probation period after a misdemeanor plea agreement with the local Attorney’s Office. Allred stressed that accountability must extend beyond the individual charged to include others involved in safety practices on set.
The family’s representative described the Hutchins family’s life as dramatically affected by the incident and asserted that all responsible parties should be held accountable for the loss. Earlier settlements were reached in a separate civil proceeding when Hutchins’ spouse and son resolved a claim against the film’s production, allowing the project to move forward with the same principal cast. The surviving spouse, Matthew Hutchins, expressed gratitude that the industry supported Halyna Hutchins’s body of work and that a portion of profits could be directed to her legacy, pending court approval of the settlement.
As the project progresses, producers are awaiting judicial approval before continuing filming. The film’s lead cast is expected to return to production in the near term as part of the same creative team that previously brought the project to life.
Halyna Hutchins died after a weapon discharged on the Rust set in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Investigators later described the firearm as having been handed to Baldwin by Halls after Gutierrez-Reed had checked it, with the gun itself deemed a “cold gun” that contained no live ammunition at the time of the incident. Baldwin has consistently maintained that he did not pull the trigger and that the firearm’s safety responsibility lay with Gutierrez-Reed; he has offered various explanations in multiple interviews. In contrast, New Mexico prosecutors noted that multiple photos and videos allegedly showed improper handling of the firearm and a violation of firearm safety rules on set, including the fundamental guideline to never point a loaded or potentially loaded weapon at another person.
The collision of civil suits and criminal charges has also involved other personnel. Hutchins’ death prompted cross-claims in which Baldwin sued team members alleging they supplied a loaded firearm, while Halls pursued a claim of active negligence. The broader investigation has included a comprehensive review of on-set protocols, with authorities stating that test cartridges and live rounds were found in proximity to filming activities. Investigators in Santa Fe County continue to examine how these elements ended up on the shooting stage, as the case unfolds across multiple legal avenues.