Alec Baldwin ‘Has No Words’ After He Fatally Shoots His Director of Photography

Alec Baldwin has shot and killed the director of photography for his upcoming film Rust with a prop gun, whilst filming in New Mexico.

 

Halyna Hutchins, aged 42, was working on set while she was shot with a prop gun. Despite being flown to a nearby hospital by helicopter, Hutchins died of her injuries. Another man was also injured by the actor. 48-year-old director Joel Souza, was transported to a hospital from the set by ambulance.

No charges have been filed but a police investigation is being undertaken. Baldwin voluntarily went and spoke to the police after the event. He took to Twitter to express his sorrow and shock:

 

1-
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. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and

— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021

 

2- 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.

— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021

 

A spokesman for Baldwin, well known for his role on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock and for his Saturday Night Live comedy skits, said the incident had involved a prop gun that had been fired incorrectly with blanks. A Santa Fe sheriff spokesman said Mr Baldwin had spoken to detectives.

“He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews,” the Santa Fe spokesman said.

Police are trying to understand exactly how this tragedy occured. Local media reported that Baldwin was seen outside the local Police station in tears.

Ironically, Baldwin is playing a character in the film being shot that is an outlaw whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of manslaughter. The late Hutchins was Ukrainian and grew up in the Arctic Circle, she had written on her website. A student of journalism in Kyiv, and film in Los Angeles, she was, in 2019, named a “rising star” by the American Cinematographer magazine.

“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event,” said guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine.

Police say officers were dispatched to Bonanza Creek Ranch at around 13:50 local time (19:50 GMT) after receiving an emergency call about a shooting on the set there.

Incidents such as Thursday’s fatal shooting on the Rust film set are extremely rare but have happened before. Real firearms are often used in the production of films but are usually loaded with blanks that produce a shot-like noise but do not fire a real bullet.

A full report from the police is pending.