One crew member has been killed and another injured after a prop firearm was discharged on the set of Alec Baldwin's Rust.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has died and director Joel Souza is in critical condition after a prop firearm was discharged on the set of Rust. Star of the western, Alec Baldwin, was holding the prop at the time of the incident according to , but what led to the incident that has resulted in a crew member's death remains unknown.
A 911 call was placed following the incident informing police someone on set had been accidentally shot. Sheriff's deputies responded to the call on Thursday afternoon and both Hutchins and Souza were taken to hospital. Hutchins was transported to the University of New Mexico hospital via helicopter where she was later pronounced dead.
“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,” reads a statement issued by a spokesperson from Rust. “We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa ꦅFe Police Department’s investigation.” Hutchins was 42 years old and had worked on other projects including The Madhatter and Blindfire.
While rare, this isn't the first time someone has been accidentally shot and killed by a prop firearm on the set of a Hollywood movie set. Brandon Lee, the son of world-renowned martial arts movie star Bruce Lee, was killed in a similar way on the set of The Crow in 1993. Brandon was shot by a fellow actor with a revolver that hadn't been prepared properly. The Twitter account representing Brandon shared the above tweet following what happened on the Rust set.
Tributes continue to pour in for Hutchins, and the Santa Fe Police Department is currently conducting a full investigation in an attempt to determine how the tragic event occurred. While Souza's injuries are unknown, the director was in critical condition when taken to hospital following the incident. Hopefully, he makes a full recovery and our thoughts go out to the family and friends of both Souza and Hutchins at this time.