On Thursday, actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun and killed the Director of Photography (DoP) Halyna Hutchins of his upcoming film ‘Rust.’ Besides the DoP, the film’s director Joel Souza was also injured. The shooting is suspected to be an accident.
The incident took place at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County in New Mexico during the shoot of the film. A probe has been initiated into the matter and no charges have been filed against the actor so far. As per reports, Souza is currently undergoing emergency care at the Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Halyna Hutchins was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital but she succumbed to her injuries.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an old tweet of his has gone viral on social media.
In a tweet on September 22, 2017, Alec Baldwin wrote, “I wonder how it must feel to wrongfully kill someone.” His tweet came at the backdrop of a case in Southern California wherein a Huntington Beach police officer police officer shot dead a young man in front of a 7-Eleven store. His four-year old tweet resurfaced on social media after the news of accidental killing of Hutchins came to light.
“A 13 year-old boy, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880’s Kansas, goes on the run with his long estranged grandfather after he’s sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher,” reads the synopsis of the movie ‘Rust.’ In fact, the upcoming film of Baldwin is also based on accidental killing.
Following the incident, Rust Movie Productions LLC stated, “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. 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.”
Halyna Hutchins hailed from Ukraine and was dubbed as the ‘rising star’ in 2019 by the American Cinematographer magazine. Prior to ‘rust’, she worked as the DoP for the 2020 action film ‘Archenemy’. Alec Baldwin, the co-producer of ‘Rust’ is a renowned actor who has featured in several shows and movies since 1980s. He had portrayed the role of Donald Trump for a sketch on Saturday Night Live show and was praised by the entertainment industry. An Emmy award-winning actor, Baldwin is hailed for his role of Jack Donaghy in the sitcom ’30 Rock (2006-2013).’
