(NewsNation Now) — The attorney for the family of the woman who died on the “Rust” movie set said producer Alec Baldwin was “blaming others” for her death, despite admitting holding the gun as it went off.
Baldwin “caused a death that was reckless and never needed to happen,” attorney Brian Panish said during a “Dan Abrams Live” appearance Tuesday.
It came the same day he announced a lawsuit filed on behalf of Halyna Hutchins’ family. Hutchins died when a gun Baldwin was holding discharged. Baldwin claimed he was told the gun was unloaded and it went off even though he never pulled the trigger.
“Alec Baldwin is continuing to do what he’s done throughout this — he’s blaming others,” Panish said.
Some have speculated Baldwin could face a criminal charge, but Panish stopped short of calling for it during his appearance on “Dan Abrams Live.” He said he was cooperating with the district attorney, but was “not getting involved in that decision.”
Panish said the Hutchins family was “looking for answers.” He left open the possibility they could settle out of court, but insisted they did not invest months of time and resources investigating the tragedy to walk away with unanswered questions.
The shooting happened when Baldwin was working with Hutchins to line up a scene. Baldwin has maintained he was not negligent or guilty of a crime.
“Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false,” Aaron Dyer, attorney for Baldwin and other producers, said in a statement Tuesday. “He, Halyna and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun that it was a ‘cold gun’ — meaning there is no possibility of a discharge.”
Last month, Baldwin turned over his cellphone to investigators, and Dyer said he continues to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Baldwin also met with Hutchins’ family in the days after the shooting, though Panish said her husband had “not taken a position” on the actor on a personal level, and this lawsuit was aimed at uncovering facts.
Hutchins, 42, grew up on a remote Soviet military base and worked on documentary films in Eastern Europe before studying film in Los Angeles and embarking on a promising movie-making career.
On her Instagram page, Hutchins identified herself as a “restless dreamer” and “adrenaline junkie.”
In 2019, American Cinematographer called her “one of the year’s rising stars.”
Dyer’s statement said: “Everyone’s hearts and thoughts remain with Halyna’s family as they continue to process this unspeakable tragedy.”
