The head of lighting on the film "Rust" filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging Alec Baldwin's fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October caused him "severe emotional distress."
Serge Svetnoy said the bullet that killed Hutchins narrowly missed him. As Hutchins died, the crew member said he held her head.
Svetnoy further described Hutchins as a close friend. They had worked on nine films together, including Rust, and he reportedly took the job at a lower pay rate than usual at her request.
"She was my friend," Svetnoy said during a press conference on Wednesday.
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The suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court named nearly two dozen defendants attached to the production, including lead actor and producer Alec Baldwin; David Halls, the assistant director who allegedly handed Baldwin the gun; and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who oversaw weapons on set.
Svetnoy alleged he had seen guns sitting unattended in the dirt a few days before the shooting, and warned staffers to take better care of them.
On the day Hutchins was killed, Svetnoy said he was setting up lighting within seven feet of Baldwin. "What happened next will haunt plaintiff forever," the suit said.
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Svetnoy's suit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
"They should never, ever have had live rounds on this set," Svetnoy's attorney said on Wednesday.
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