Tragedy struck the film set of "Rust" Thursday, when star Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun in an accident that left the cinematographer dead and the director injured.
An assistant director unwittingly handed Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set, court records released Friday show. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded.
The news sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry. But what are the legal ramifications of such an incident?
"Proper compliance with safety issues on the set will be a large, general question that will be asked that may have a huge impact on any potential legal matters that may come from this case," says Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Los Angeles firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman. "And then on the worst side of the scale, you could have potential criminal issues that would range from criminal negligence to intentional acts that may have caused this tragedy."
