The cast on the set of the movie “Rust” is said to have “willfully violated” the safety rules and the “demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety,” which ultimately led to the unfortunate shooting death of the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, according to a report that was released on Wednesday by the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health & Safety Bureau.
The report states that the Gun safety procedures were not being followed on the set by the crew. The film’s management team knew about it but failed to correct it.
The Rust Movie Productions, LLC was fined nearly an amount of $137,000 (the maximum allowed by the New Mexico law) and has issued the highest-level citation for their actions.
“Our detailed investigation has found out that this tragic incident could have been avoided if the Rust Movie Productions, had followed the national film industry standards and protocols listed for the firearm safety on the set,” said the Environment Cabinet Secretary, James Kenney. “This is a complete failure for the employer to follow certain recognized national protocols that are supposed to keep the employees safe.”
Hutchins is said to have been fatally shot last October during a rehearsal for a scene in a church at the Bonanza Creek Ranch. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting himself. Baldwin had last year told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in a televised interview that he had been rehearsing a scene where he and Hutchins had to go over how she wanted to position his hand before the gun goes off. He had said that he had never pulled the trigger and that the gun had misfired.
