Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a movie set in New
Mexico on Thursday, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding
director Joel Souza, authorities said.
The incident occurred on the set of the independent feature
film “Rust,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office said in a statement, 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 the 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.
It was not immediately known how serious Souza’s injuries
were.
No charges have yet been filed in regard to the incident,
said the police, adding they are investigating the shooting and interviewing
witnesses.
Deadline cited a source in the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department
as saying that Baldwin was questioned by investigators and later released,
which Reuters was unable to immediately verify.
Baldwin’s representatives did not immediately respond to
Reuters’ request for comment.
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.
Most recently famous for his impersonations of former U.S.
President Donald Trump on NBC’s comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,”
Baldwin 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 Cinematographers’ Rising
Stars of 2019, according to her website biography.
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.”
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