Supplier accused in ‘Rust’ shooting
Bullet company accused of supplying live rounds
SANTA FE, N.M. – A lawsuit filed Wednesday accuses an ammunition supplier of creating dangerous conditions on a movie set where a gun held by actor Alec Baldwin killed a cinematographer, by including live ammunition in a box that was supposed to include only dummy rounds.
The lawsuit was filed in New Mexico state district court by Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer who oversaw firearms, ammunition and related training on the set of “Rust” along with two colleagues. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died on Oct. 21 from a gunshot wound during a “Rust” rehearsal at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe in northern New Mexico.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office that is leading an investigation into the cause of the death has said it is too soon to determine whether charges will be filed. Investigators have described “some complacency” in how weapons were handled on set.
The lawsuit from Gutierrez Reed places blame on ammunition supplier Seth Kenney and his company PDQ Arm & Prop for introducing live rounds to the set where only blanks and dummies were supposed to be present.
“The introduction of live rounds onto the set ... combined with the rushed and chaotic atmosphere, created a perfect storm for a safety incident,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also accuses Kenney of inserting himself in the investigations and attempting to implicate Gutierrez Reed.