'I just felt so angry': Halyna Hutchins' husband wanted Alec Baldwin to accept responsibility
Matthew Hutchins, the husband of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, said he considers Alec Baldwin responsible for his wife's death after a prop gun discharged a live round on the set of the film "Rust."
Speaking to Hoda Kotb on the "Today" show, Hutchins said Baldwin, the film's producer and star, is one of multiple parties to blame for the tragedy. Baldwin wielded the gun while rehearsing a scene when it fired, killing Hutchins.
"The idea that the person holding the gun, causing it to discharge, is not responsible is absurd to me," Hutchins said in a clip from the interview, set to air in full Thursday. "But gun safety was not the only problem on that set. There were a number of industry standards that were not practiced and there’s multiple responsible parties."
Hutchins also revealed the emotions he felt watching Baldwin's December interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News. During the interview, Baldwin said he cocked the gun, "but did not pull the trigger" and expressed that he feels sadness over the shooting but not guilt.
“Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but it’s not me,” Baldwin said in the interview.
Hutchins described Baldwin's comments as infuriating.
"Watching him, I just felt so angry," he told Kotb. "I was just so angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way and then not accept any responsibility after having just described killing her."
He also accused Baldwin of attempting to paint himself as the victim in the situation.
"Hearing him blame Halyna in the interview and shift responsibility to others and seeing him cry about it," he said. "I just feel like, 'Are we really supposed to feel bad for you?' "
Earlier this month, Halyna Hutchins' family announced a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other "Rust" producers. Brian Panish, a lawyer for the victim's husband of 16 years and the couple's 9-year-old son Andros, said Baldwin and the film's producers "committed major breaches of industry protocols" that "led to the senseless and tragic death of Halyna Hutchins."
Alec Baldwin, 'Rust' sued for wrongful death by Halyna Hutchins' family after fatal shooting
"Alec Baldwin recklessly shot and killed Halyna Hutchins on the set," the lawsuit states. "Defendant Baldwin and the other defendants in this case failed to perform industry standard safety checks and follow basic gun safety rules while using real guns ... with fatal consequences."
Los Angeles-based lawyer Aaron Dyer released a statement at the time on behalf of the "Rust" producers and Baldwin: "Everyone's hearts and thoughts remain with Halyna's family as they continue to process this unspeakable tragedy."
The producers are working with New Mexico law enforcement "to determine how live ammunition arrived on the 'Rust' set in the first place," the statement added. "Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false. 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, blank or otherwise."
Alec Baldwin slams claims he isn't complying with 'Rust' investigation: 'That's a lie'
On Oct. 21, Baldwin was practicing a stunt on the set when a prop gun he was holding fired, killing Hutchins, 42, and injuring director Joel Souza. Souza told investigators that three people would typically handle guns on the set. Firearms would first be checked by the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, before getting checked by assistant director Dave Halls, who would then give a firearm to an actor for his or her scene.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed since the shooting, but the Hutchins family's suit is the first directly tied to one of the two people shot.
Contributing: Bryan Alexander
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alec Baldwin responsible for Halyna Hutchins' death, her husband says