The tragic shooting that occurred on the set of the film “Rust” in October 2021 resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza. Since then, there have been multiple lawsuits and legal actions taken by those affected by the incident.
In a recent development, a New Mexico judge has approved a $1.15 million settlement between a medic who worked on the “Rust” film set, Cherlyn Schaefer, and prop master Sarah Zachry, who was one of several defendants accused of negligence in the incident. Schaefer had alleged in her civil complaint that she fought desperately in a failed attempt to save Hutchins’ life and has been unable to continue working in her field due to the emotional distress that followed.
The partial settlement between Schaefer and Zachry was approved during a hearing on Monday. The remaining defendants include Rust Movie Productions, weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, and assistant director David Halls, but not Baldwin, who was cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges last month.
Schaefer’s complaint claims that Zachry and Gutierrez-Reed failed to ensure there were no live rounds in Baldwin’s weapon. While an involuntary manslaughter charge remains pending against Gutierrez-Reed, her attorneys have said they fully expect her to be exonerated. Zachry’s current attorney, Nathan Winger, told the court that her previous attorney, William Waggoner, let deadlines pass without her permission, and she intends to seek damages from him to fund her settlement with Schaefer.
