A tragedy occurred on the set of the latest Alec Baldwin movie where the actor reportedly accidentally shot and killed a female cinematographer and injured the director due to a prop gun misfire.
“Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a set in New Mexico on Thursday, accidentally killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza,” reported Variety.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Alec Baldwin was shooting his upcoming Western, Rust. Hutchins, who originally remained unidentified, died after being transported via helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital.
Filmmaker Halyna Hutchins attends the 2018 Sundance Film Festival Official Kickoff Party Hosted By SundanceTV during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival at SundanceTV HQ on January 19, 2018 in Park City, Utah. (Sonia Recchia/Getty Images)
Director Joel Souza remains in emergency care after being transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent’s hospital.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that both Hutchins and Souza “were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor.”
Sources told Deadline, which initially reported that the incident occurred when Baldwin reportedly “cocked a gun during a rehearsal, unaware that there were live rounds in it, hitting two people, a man and a woman.” Representatives for Baldwin, a rabid anti-gun demagogue, did not immediately respond to media requests for comment.
Hutchins was reportedly hit in the stomach while Souza was hit in the shoulder. No arrests or charges have been filed as a result of the incident, though the Sheriff’s office confirmed that the investigation remains “open and active.”
American Cinematographer referred to Hutchins, a Ukranian native, as a “rising star” in a glowing 2019 profile.
“My transition from journalism began when I was working on British film productions in Eastern Europe, traveling with crews to remote locations and seeing how the cinematographer worked,” she said of her transition into cinematography. “I was fascinated with storytelling based on real characters.”
“Right now, I’m just really interested in finding fruitful collaborations,” she later added. “To me, it’s the collaborative effort between creative minds that elevates each other’s work.”