A Rust crew member has accused actor Alec Baldwin of “playing Russian roulette” by failing to check the gun on set before firing it.
Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor who called 911 after Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, is suing the star and the film’s producers, alleging they failed to follow safety protocols on set.
In a news conference, Ms Mitchell’s lawyer Gloria Allred claimed Baldwin, an “industry veteran”, should not have trusted a gun handed to him by anyone other than the prop master or armourer.
The weapon was given to Baldwin by assistant director Dave Halls, who allegedly shouted “cold gun,” meaning unloaded with live rounds, before passing it to the actor.
She said: “Mr Baldwin chose to play Russian roulette when he fired a gun without checking it and without having the armourer do so in his presence.
“His behaviour and that of the producers on Rust was reckless.”
She said the fact that live ammunition was allowed on set, guns and ammunition were left unattended and safety bulletins were “ignored” made this “a case where injury or death was much more than just a possibility – it was the likely result”.
Ms Mitchell’s lawsuit is claiming assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and deliberate infliction of harm.
The film’s script also never called for a gun to be fired in the scene, Ms Allred said.
She said there was no rehearsal in progress when the firearm was discharged and Baldwin was apparently “practising” at the time.
Ms Mitchell said she was standing less than 4ft away from Halyna Hutchins when she was shot and was hit by residue from that bullet.
“I will never forget what happened on the set of Rust that day,” she said. “I relive the shooting and the sound of the explosion from the gun over and over again.”
She said she was left depressed and “frightened of the future”.
“This violent tragedy has taken away the joy in my life,” she added.
She said she never wants what happened on the set of Rust to happen to anyone else.
Sky News has contacted Rust Productions for comment.
The company has said the safety of the film’s cast and crew is their top priority.
Baldwin has previously called the incident a “one in a trillion event”.
“We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened,” he said.