Members of the filmmaking community are expressing their grief after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died following a prop firearm discharge on the set of Rust.
According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Halyna and director Joel Souza were shot when cast member Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the film’s New Mexico set. Halyna, 42, was pronounced dead after being airlifted to a nearby hospital, while Joel was taken in an ambulance to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.
In a statement obtained by E! News, the film’s production company, Rust Movie Productions LLC, expressed “our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones.” In the message, the film’s team members said they have halted production “for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation.”
Alec’s representative told E! News that “an accident” took place involving “the misfire of a prop gun with blanks.” According to police, an investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed in connection to the incident.