‘Rust’ Set Medic Reaches Partial Settlement Ahead Of Alec Baldwin Trial

"Rust" Movie Productions has reached a settlement with on-site medic Cherlyn Schaefer, who sued the production company and several others after treating cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ fatal gunshot wound in October 2021.

In February 2024, the production company behind the Western film filed a motion for a partial summary judgment earlier this week, claiming she did not suffer any direct injuries and did not witness the shooting. In April, that judgment was granted.

Cherlyn Schaefer, a New Mexico citizen, sued "Rust" Movie Productions, a New Mexico limited liability company, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, props master Sarah Zachry, first assistant director David Halls, the PDQ Arm & Prop Shop, its owner Seth Kenney, Bonanza Creek Ranch, where the shooting took place, and its representative, Shannon Hughes.

Schaefer had been hired to serve as the set medic, but she had been “on a lunch break sitting on the tailgate of an electric Ford truck” when the shooting took place. However, according to the filing, she was “not far from the church when she heard a really loud bang.”

In her lawsuit, the on-site medic claims she “knew something wasn’t right and entered through the church doors to find Halyna Hutchins sitting or leaning against a pew and director Joel Souza standing. After calling 911, [the medic] began treating Halyna Hutchins’ gunshot wound until emergency paramedics arrived.” Unfortunately, Hutchins passed away from her injuries while en route to receiving medical treatment in Albuquerque.

On February 4, the medic filed a lawsuit against the production company and several others alleging negligence, and emotional distress, among other things. However, in the February 2024 filing, the production company notes that the on-set medic “admitted she did not suffer any direct injuries, but only the physical manifestations of shock, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and emotional distress caused by the incident.”

They also went on to state that Schaefer was not related to anyone involved in the shooting and did not witness the shooting herself. As a result, they go on to say that her lawsuit has no merit and have asked the court for it to be dismissed. However, on April 10, they resolved the matter through a partial settlement.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast on April 11, "Plaintiff Cherlyn Schaefer, by and through her undersigned counsel, hereby provides Notice of the Partial Settlement of the above-captioned matter effective April 10, 2024. All claims and causes of action by and between Plaintiff and Defendant Bonanza Creek Ranch, LLC and Defendant Shannon Hughes only have been amicably resolved and settled."

As a result, the hearing scheduled for Friday, April 12, 2024, has been canceled, as it is no longer necessary. The filing concludes that the "notice shall be and hereby is provided of the settlement and resolution of all claims by and between Plaintiff and Defendant Bonanza Creek Ranch, LLC and Defendant Shannon Hughes. Final dismissal documents with regard to those claims and defendants will be submitted within 45 days."

Although Alec Baldwin's criminal trial does not start until July, in early March, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after a jury deliberated for less than three hours. The rookie armorer was, however, acquitted on a lesser charge of tampering with evidence after a witness claimed that she had handed them a bag of white powder on the day that Hutchins was killed.

Although the witness said that they believed the bag to contain cocaine, they threw out the white bag on the same day and the substance was never tested. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2024. She faces up to 18 months behind bars and $5,000 in fines.

On April 10, her attorneys filed a sentencing memo stating that the rookie armorer had been suffering anxiety, fear, and depression since the shooting. It goes on to say that she has been seeking counseling at the Mohave Mental Health Clinic in Arizona.

“Days after this tragedy occurred, Ms. Gutierrez-Reed wanted to express her deep sadness regarding this tragedy and the death of Halyna, to the Hutchins family,” the sentencing memo states. “Legal proceedings and the looming investigation, however, made that impossible. Though she exercised her constitutional right to a jury trial, it did not mean that she didn’t and doesn’t still feel incredibly saddened and heartbroken by what happened on that tragic day on the Rust set. The tragic series of events that unfolded that day destroyed and altered many people’s lives, including Ms. Gutierrez’s Reed’s.”