LOS ANGELES: Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a movie set killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
The incident occurred on the set of the independent feature film “Rust” at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a production location south of Santa Fe.
“The sheriff’s office confirms that two individuals were shot on the set of Rust. Halyna Hutchins, 42, director of photography, and Joel Souza, 48, director, were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor,” the police said in a statement.
According to authorities, Hutchins was transported by helicopter to University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, while Souza was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical center to undergo treatment for his injuries.
No charges have yet been filed in regard to the incident, said the police, adding they are investigating the shooting and interviewing witnesses. Baldwin was reportedly questioned by investigators and later released.
Baldwin is a co-producer in the Western movie set in 1880s Kansas and plays the eponymous “Rust”, an outlaw grandfather of a 13-year-old boy convicted of accidental murder.
Baldwin is famous for his impersonations of former US President Donald Trump on the comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live”. He has a long history in film and television including roles in “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “30 Rock.”
Originally from Ukraine, Hutchins once worked as an investigative reporter in Europe. She graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015 and was selected as one of American Cinematographer’s Rising Stars of 2019.
Her last Instagram post, two days ago, was a video of her riding on a horse, wearing a wide-brimmed hat. “One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off,” she said in the post.
April Wright, a writer, director and producer, paid tribute to Hutchins on Facebook. “I’m in disbelief,” wrote Wright. “So young, vibrant, and talented. Such a wonderful soul. My heart goes out to her son and family.”
