Hollywood is mourning the loss of Halyna Hutchins.
On Thursday, Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of his upcoming Western film “Rust” that killed the cinematographer and injured director Joel Souza, according to County Sheriff’s officials.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that the actor, 63, was seen outside of the sheriff’s office in tears. A spokesperson for Baldwin said the accident on set involved the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. According to Sheriff’s spokesman Juan Rios, detectives were investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.
The sheriff’s department revealed that Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Halyna Hutchins was named a ‘rising star’ by American Cinematographer in 2019.
(Photo by Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie)
Just days prior to her death, Hutchins shared multiple Instagram posts from the set.
“One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off,” she captioned a candid video.
Following the tragedy, many from Hollywood paid tribute to Hutchins on social media.
“I woke up to the messages and read the news and I am in shock,” wrote Joe Manganiello on Instagram. “I was so lucky to have had @halynahutchins as my DP on Archenemy. She was an absolutely incredible talent and a great person. She had such an eye and a visual style, she was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to see what she could pull off next.”
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Many from the Hollywood community have taken to social media to mourn the loss of beloved cinematographer Halyna Hutchins
(Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for AMC Networks)
“She was a fantastic person,” the actor continued. “There was no amount of pressure she couldn’t handle. She was a great collaborator and an ally to anyone in front of her camera. Everyone who knew her was rooting for her. I can’t believe that this could happen in this day and age… gunfire from a prop gun could kill a crew member? This is a horrible tragedy. My heart goes out to her family and especially to her son. I am so sad today for everyone who knew her and worked with her…”
James Gunn, director of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, also honored Hutchins.
“My greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets,” he tweeted. “I pray this will never happen. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family.”
“Survive the Game” director James Cullen Bressack was also heartbroken over the news.
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“I will never use anything but airsoft and rubber guns on my movies ever again,” he tweeted. “This should never have happened. Halyna, you were a gem. This is so f—ed up.”
Bressack also commented on Hutchins’ last Instagram post.
“I will miss you my friend,” he wrote. “This is devastating.”
“I am so sorry,” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also added. “Rest easy. My love and strength to your family.”
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“These kinds of tragedies are almost always preventable,” wrote Scott Derrickson, director of “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” “My heart goes out to this… woman’s friends and family.”
“I’m so sad about losing Halyna,” tweeted “Archenemy” director Adam Egypt Mortimer. “And so infuriated that this could happen on a set. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film.”
Prop guns fire blanks, gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but not a hard projectile. But when the trigger is pulled, the paper or plastic wadding is ejected from the barrel with enough force that it can be lethal at close range.
“Absolutely horrifying and devastating news about cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins,” tweeted Elijah Wood. “My heart goes out to her family.”
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“My heart breaks for the family and friends of Halyna Hutchins – this is just horrifying and devastating news,” also tweeted director Mike Flanagan.
“Deepest condolences to the family and friends of Halyna Hutchins,” shared actor/filmmaker Alex Winter. “Crew should never be unsafe on set and when they are there is always a clearly definable reason why.”
Hutchins, a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film “Archenemy” starring Manganiello. She was named a “rising star” by American Cinematographer in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
