A crew member who worked closely with Halyna Hutchins on the set of ‘Rust’ issued a scathing statement after she was killed by a bullet fired by Alec Baldwin from a “prop-gun,” saying her death was the result of “negligence and unprofessionalism.”
According to Serge Svetnoy, who posted a lengthy message on Facebook, says her death could have been avoided if the big-wigs involved in the movie, would have made sure professionals were involved in every department for the film. Serge claims his public statement is important, partially because he was the one “holding her in my arms” has Hutchins passed away.
“I knew Halyna, not for a year. I worked with Her on almost all of her films. Sometimes we’ve shared food and water. We’ve been burning under the sun, freezing in the snow on the shoots. We took care of each other. Yes, I can say with 100% confidence she was my friend,” Svetony began.
‘Rust’ Crew Member: It’s The Fault Of Negligence And Unprofessionalism
He continued, “I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during this fatal shot that took her life and injured the director Joel Souza. I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands. I want to tell my opinion on why this has happened. I think I have the right to do it. It’s the fault of negligence and unprofessionalism.”
Without naming names, the crew member launched into who he believed was responsible for safety checks of the firearms before it was handed to Alec Baldwin. As you know, the actor fired a shot from a “prop-gun” which somehow was loaded with a real bullet.
“The negligence from the person who was supposed to check the weapon on the site did not do this; the person who had to announce that the loaded gun was on the site did not do this; the person who should have checked this weapon before bringing it to the set did not do it,” he wrote.
Adding, “And the DEATH OF THE HUMAN IS THE RESULT!”
Movie Staff Member Calls Out Producers For Not Hiring ‘Professionals’
The crew member called out producers for not hiring “professionals” for the film and claims it lead to a dangerous environment. Serge targeted specific employees in the “armory” department, but didn’t specifically name anyone, and clarified it was his “opinion.”
“Professionals are the people who have spent years on sets, people who know this job from A to Z; These are the people who have the safety on set at the level of reflexes; they do not need to be told to put the sandbag on a tripod, fix the ladder on the stage, or fence off the explosion site. They have it in their blood.”
Also, Svetnoy claims one of the reasons producers are often put in this place is trying to save money on a film’s budget. “To save a dime sometimes, you hire people who are not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job, and you risk the lives of the other people who are close and your lives as well,” he said. Adding, “I understand that you always fight for the budget, but you cannot allow this to happen. There should always be at least one professional in each department who knows the job. It is an absolute must to avoid such a tragedy, like the tragedy with Halyna.”
Alec Baldwin Shooting Still Under Investigation, No One Identified As Responsible
In the end, he wrote, “I do not wish anyone to go through what I went through, what her husband, Matt Hutchins, and her son Andros went through, and the actor Alec Baldwin, who has been handed a gun on set. He has to live with the thought that he took the life of a human because of unprofessional people.”
As we reported, the accident is still under investigation.
