Rust script supervisor sues Alec Baldwin and producers over shooting

Alec Baldwin and other producers on the movie Rust are facing a new lawsuit over the fatal shooting on the western’s set in New Mexico last month.

The film’s script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging the script had never required the actor to fire the shot that killed the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured the director Joel Souza.

“Alec 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,” said Mitchell’s complaint.

“Mr Baldwin chose to play Russian roulette with a loaded gun without checking it and without having the armorer do so. His behavior and that of the producers …were intentional acts and/or omissions, without any just cause or excuse and with utter disregard of the consequences,” the complaint continued.

According to the lawsuit, Mitchell was standing less than 4ft away from Baldwin when he fired the gun. As a result, she has “sustained serious physical trauma and shock and injury”, as well as “extreme mental, physical and nervous pain and suffering”.

Other defendants listed in Mitchell’s lawsuit include the armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the assistant director David Halls, and several production companies.

The suit comes a week after the film’s head of lighting, Serge Svetnoy, filed a lawsuit against Baldwin and others, alleging negligence that caused him “severe emotional distress” that would haunt him for ever.

Attorneys of crew members have suggested that someone may have sabotaged the film set. Jason Bowles, Reed’s attorney, said this month: “I believe that somebody who would do that would want to sabotage the set, want to prove a point, want to say they’re disgruntled, they’re unhappy.”

The Santa Fe county district attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, the prosecutor investigating the shooting, has rejected the conspiracy theories but said she understood that more than one live round had been found on set. She has not disclosed the exact number.