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A medic on the film Rust has filed a negligence lawsuit alleging "emotional distress" following the on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.
Cheryln Schaefer, a medical assistant on the Santa Fe, New Mexico-area film set, had performed life-saving measures after the film's star, Alec Baldwin, shot a prop gun towards Hutchins that he said he thought was unloaded. However, the gun discharged and a projectile struck the cinematographer, as well as the film's director, Joel Souza.
Hutchins later died from her injuries despite the efforts of first responders.
Schaefer had "fought desperately to save Halyna Hutchins' life, putting pressure on her wounds, giving her oxygen [and] checking her vitals," the lawsuit said. The medic reportedly stayed with Hutchins until a medevac helicopter arrived to take her to the hospital.
In the lawsuit, which was first reported on by Variety, Schaefer stated that she suffered "tremendous shock, trauma and severe emotional distress" following Hutchins' death. The accident, the lawsuit alleged, has "affected all aspects of [Schaefer's] life and has medically prevented her from returning to her chosen profession."
Attorneys for Schaefer are seeking damages for lost earnings due to their client's inability to work and noted that Schaefer is currently seeing "qualified medical professionals, including therapists and others" because of her distress.
Schaefer named a number of parties associated with the film's production as culpable in the lawsuit, including Rust's first assistant director Dave Halls, who later admitted that he had not properly checked the weapon before handing it to Baldwin for the scene.
Others named in the lawsuit include armorer Hannah Reed Gutierrez—who the court filing noted was "responsible for the guns and ammunition located on the set of Rust"—as well as prop master Sarah Zachry and ammunition supplier Seth Kenney.
Most notably named in the lawsuit, however, were the two primary groups involved with the making of Rust: Production company Rust Movie Productions LLC and Bonanza Creek Ranch, the filming location and site of the accident.
Schaefer's lawsuit marks the fourth instance of legal action taken against the film by a crew member in the aftermath of the shooting.
A recent report from Buzzfeed News noted that Thomasville Pictures, the company that is listed as overseeing Rust Movie Productions LLC, has a history of problems on its film sets. The outlet stated that "people involved in their projects say that Thomasville Pictures has created unsafe conditions for workers by rushing production schedules, spreading staff too thin, and not following safety standards when shooting in risky environments."
"Workers allege that they were put in a variety of precarious positions; a young production assistant performed as a stuntperson, crew members almost got clipped by live cars while filming, and COVID protocols were not followed during the height of the pandemic," the report continued.
Allegations of unsafe working conditions and cutting corners reportedly ran rampant on the set of Rust. Following the shooting, it was reported that a number of union crew members had walked off the set in protest just one day before the accident.
As a result, the production heads of the film reportedly brought in non-union replacement crew members, many of whom were unaware of union protocols for safety on film sets.
Allen Cheney, one of the heads of Thomasville Pictures, defended the Rust production. In a statement to Buzzfeed News in response to their report, Cheney "pointed to the film's good standing with various unions and guilds, and said he had no involvement in the day-to-day production."
Newsweek has reached out to Thomasville Pictures and the Bonanza Creek Ranch for comment.
