Alec Baldwin has voiced his “shock and sadness” over a tragic shooting on the set of his upcoming Western Rust. Baldwin fired a prop gun Thursday, accidentally killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. (The film’s reps have confirmed that Souza has been released from a New Mexico hospital.)
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” Baldwin wrote on Twitter Friday, one day after the shooting. “I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
Details surrounding the shooting, which, according to investigators, occurred while a scene was being filmed, are still forthcoming. “Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set of the Western Rust, October 21, 2021, when an 911 caller reported a shooting on the set,” investigators confirmed to Vanity Fair on Friday. According to sheriff department spokesman Juan R. Rios, “Mr. Baldwin met with investigators and provided a statement and answered their questions. He then left our agency. No charges have been filed and no arrests have been made.” Baldwin’s reps did not respond to a request for comment late Thursday.
Production on Rust—which revolves around a man on the run after accidentally killing a rancher, according to an IMDB plot synopsis—has been suspended. “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones,” Rust Movie Productions LLC said in a statement to The New York Times. “We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”
Hutchins worked on films including Archenemy, Darlin’, and Blindfire. In the days before her death, the cinematographer captured photos and videos from the set of Rust and expressed excitement over lensing a Western.
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