Popular television and movie star Alec Baldwin has fatally shot a woman on the set of new film "Rust". The incident seems to have been a freak accident involving a prop gun.
A 42-year-old woman has died, and a 48-year-old man has been injured after Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm, loaded with blanks, on the set of "Rust". The incident, now being investigated by Santa Fe County detectives in New Mexico, seems to have been a freak accident.
Halyna Hutchins was the film's Director of Photography and was pronounced dead after being transported from the set to the University of New Mexico Hospital via helicopter. She had been named a "rising star" by American Cinematographer magazine in 2019.
The injured man is Joel Souza, the film's director, who was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Centre. He has since been discharged.
Alec Baldwin, famous as for his work on Saturday Night Live as well as films like Beetlejuice and The Departed, reportedly fired a blank from a prop gun during filming. It is unknown what caused the accident, nor why the gun misfired.
A spokesman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, Juan Rios, said in a statement to the press that "This investigation remains open and active. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives."
Baldwin was reportedly seen in tears outside of the Sheriff's Office. He refused to make any statement or comment to the press.
Adam Egypt Mortimer, director of 2020s Archenemy, expressed his sadness at Hutchins' death, saying that "She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film."
Halyna Hutchins was also the Director of Photography on Mortimer's Archenemy. That film also starred Joe Manganiello, who took to Instagram to comment on her talent and call her "a great person".
I'm so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. pic.twitter.com/vcdFqHsGA0
— Adam Egypt Mortimer (@adamegypt) October 22, 2021
Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn expressed his condolences, speaking of the intense fear he holds that a crew or cast member could be hurt in a similar way on one of his sets.
My greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets. I pray this will never happen. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family.
Brandon Lee's sister expressed on Twitter that "No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set." Lee died at the age of only 28, in a fatal shooting on the set of The Crow in 1993.
Rust was originally set to continue filming throughout the remainder of October, and has now seen its production halted. As of writing, there is no news as per whether the film will continue production into the future.