The family of Galina Hutchins, who was fatally wounded on the set of the western “Rust”, announced that they will sue Alec Baldwin, despite the fact that the actor has been cleared of criminal charges, News.ro reports with reference to the BBC.

Prosecutors in New Mexico dropped the charges against Baldwin, and shortly afterward Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said in a statement that they were “pleased” with the decision to dismiss the case. “We call for a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” they added.

Gloria Allred, an attorney representing Hutchins’ mother Olga Solovei, father Anatoly Androsovich and sister Svitlana Zemko, said Friday that her clients “remain hopeful” despite prosecutors’ decision to drop criminal charges.

“Mr. Baldwin cannot take responsibility for pulling the trigger and firing the bullet that ended Halyna’s life,” the family’s lawyer said in a statement.

“He can run away to Montana and pretend he’s just an actor in a western, but in real life he can’t escape the fact that he played a major role in a tragedy that had consequences,” she said.

On October 21, 2021, Alec Baldwin, 65, pointed a Colt .45 pistol at Galina Hutchins during a rehearsal, but the gun went off, killing the cameraman and injuring director Joel Souza.

In January, Alec Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Galina Hutchins and the wounding of Souza. The actor was accused of “reckless” disregard for safety rules.

Baldwin said the gun fired accidentally. He repeatedly said team members told him the gun was not loaded and insisted he did not pull the trigger. He claims he was told the revolver was a “cold gun,” a film industry term meaning it was either unloaded or contained fake ammunition.

In February, Baldwin pleaded not guilty and accepted court-imposed conditions to complete filming on the low-budget film, as well as a weapons and alcohol ban. Also at that time, the prosecutor’s office reduced the seriousness of the charges, reducing the potential imprisonment.

In October, Baldwin settled a lawsuit with Galina Hutchins’ husband, Matt Hutchins, in a deal that saw Hutchins become an executive producer on the film.

Investigators could not determine how the real bullets ended up on the set.

The film’s gunman, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, continues to face two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Baldwin denied responsibility for the incident, claiming that Gutierrez-Reid did not check the cartridges and that Halls mistakenly told him the revolver was a “cold gun.”

Gutierrez-Reed blamed the shooting on other factors, including possible sabotage, Baldwin’s lack of training and the fact that Halls and Baldwin did not ask him for additional checks. Her attorneys, Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion, said in a statement Thursday that they expect their client to be acquitted at the end of this trial.