‘Rust’ Crew Member Sues Gun Handlers, Producers and Alec Baldwin

A lawyer for Mr. Baldwin did not immediately comment on the suit.

Defendants in the lawsuit include Rust Movie Productions LLC, the company created to produce the western; its star, Mr. Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film; Ms Gutierrez-Reed; Ms. Zachry; Mr. Halls; and several producers with the project.

Mr. Svetnoy said in the lawsuit that the movie’s producers had “declined requests for weapons training days, failed to allow proper time to prepare for gunfire, failed to send out safety bulletins with call sheets, spread staff too thin, failed to ensure that industry safety standards were strictly observed when preparing and filming with firearms and engaged in other cost-cutting moves.”

The suit seeks damages on Mr. Svetnoy’s behalf, noting that he was injured by the discharge materials that struck him and traumatized by seeing his friend die, leaving him unable to work.

A lawyer for Ms. Gutierrez-Reed, Jason Bowles, a declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying he had not yet reviewed it. Mr. Bowles has previously said that Ms. Gutierrez-Reed loaded the gun with what she believed to be dummy rounds, which do not contain gunpowder, and faulted the production for lax safety.

Ms. Zachry and a lawyer for Mr. Halls, Lisa Torraco, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ms. Torraco said in a television interview that checking the gun was not Mr. Halls’s job.

“The guns and ammunition on the ‘Rust’ set were required to be properly stored, properly inspected, and properly handled,” Mr. Svetnoy’s lawsuit said. “It should have been well known to all cast and crew on the ‘Rust’ set that the Colt revolver was not a toy and was capable of killing if mismanaged, misloaded and/or mishandled. Instead of following proper firearm safety protocols and practices, defendants handled the guns and ammunition in a wanton, reckless and unsafe manner on the ‘Rust’ set, and this thoroughly avoidable tragedy ensued.”

Julia Jacobs reported from New York, Adam Nagourney from Los Angeles, and Graham Bowley from Toronto.