Actor Alec Baldwin is set to face a civil trial over the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of the film ‘Rust’, after a US judge allowed key claims in a lawsuit to proceed.
The case has been brought by Serge Svetnoy, a lighting technician who was working on the production in New Mexico. He alleges Baldwin acted negligently before a prop gun discharged a live round during a rehearsal, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Svetnoy claims the bullet narrowly missed him and accuses Baldwin and the film’s production team of failing to follow proper gun safety protocols. A Los Angeles court has allowed claims of negligence and emotional distress to proceed, although an assault claim was dismissed.
If no settlement is reached, the civil trial is provisionally scheduled for October 12.
Baldwin has consistently denied pulling the trigger. A criminal case against him was dismissed in 2024, with a judge ruling that key evidence had not been properly disclosed by investigators. Prosecutors argued the ammunition in question was unrelated to the case.
Baldwin and other producers previously reached a settlement with Hutchins’ family following the incident.
The film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was earlier convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
