Candlelit vigil held for Halyna Hutchins after deadly shooting
Alec Baldwin had been practising a “cross-draw” weapons firing technique and was aiming at a camera when a prop gun went off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, according to multiple witness statements.
Authorities in Sante Fe have released statements by Rust director Joel Souza and a cameraman which said the accidental shooting happened during a scene filmed inside a mock church.
Mr Souza, 48, told investigators he was standing behind the camera next to Ms Hutchins when he heard a loud pop.
He noticed both he and Ms Hutchins were bleeding, and she fell to the ground moments later.
Meanwhile, the chief electrician on Rust, Serge Svetnoy, told how he held Ms Hutchins in his arms while she lay dying in an emotional tribute on Facebook.
“I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during this fatal shot that took her life and injured the director Joel Souza,” Mr Svetnoy wrote.
“I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands.”
He said the the accidental shooting on the film set in New Mexico on Thursday was the “fault of negligence and unprofessionalism” by those responsible for ensuring gun safety on set.
On Sunday, hundreds attended a vigil for cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
On Friday, Mr Baldwin said in a statement: “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
An investigation into the shooting is continuing.
Hailey Bieber is ‘heartbroken’ over tragedy on Rust set
Hailey Bieber has spoken out about the incident that occurred on her uncle Alec Baldwin’s film set on Thursday (21 October).
The 24-year-old model wrote that she was “heartbroken for everyone involved” on one of her Instagram story.
“Sending all my love to the family of Halyna Hutchins. This is a truly unimaginable and devastating tragedy,” she wrote. “My thoughts are also with Joel Souza as he recovers.”
Peony Hirwani26 October 2021 04:27
Alec Baldwin shooting: Everything we know so far
A lot of new information has come out over the past five days about the tragic Rust accident, from how Alec Baldwin reacted to who handed him the gun. Here’s what we know so far:
Nathan Place26 October 2021 04:00
‘Rust’ armourer criticised over alleged safety issues on previous film
The tragic accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust is not the first firearms-related incident for the production’s armourer.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, was hired to work as the armourer on the Alec Baldwin Western. The Daily Beast reported on Saturday that Ms Gutierrez-Reed was also the armourer on another film set where a firearms mishap shut down production. During work on the upcoming Nicholas Cage film The Old Way, the woman allegedly gave a gun to an 11-year-old actor without properly inspecting it for safety.
“She was a bit careless with the guns, waving it around every now and again,” an anonymous crew member told the site. “There were a couple times she was loading the blanks and doing it in a fashion that we thought was unsafe.”
Nathan Place26 October 2021 03:00
‘Are we rehearsing?’ baffled medic asked after hearing gunshot
A film set medic told police she was baffled when she heard a loud gunshot on the set of Rust, documents show.
“Are we rehearsing?” Cherlyn Schaefer asked, according to an injury report reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. “Because ‘fire in the hole’ was not called.”
Minutes later, Ms Schaefer was giving medical oxygen to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who had just been shot in the abdomen.
Nathan Place26 October 2021 02:00
Cinematographer’s final posts show her excitement on set
The final Instagram posts of Halyna Hutchins, the film Rust’s director of photography, show how happy she was on the set of the film.
“One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off,” Ms Hutchins captioned a video on 19 October, adding a smiley face.
Nathan Place26 October 2021 01:07
Assistant director was fired from previous movie over gun incident, report says
Dave Halls, the assistant director who reportedly handed Alec Baldwin the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins, was fired from a previous movie he worked on over a similar incident, CNN has learned.
Mr Halls was working on the 2019 film “Freedom’s Path” when a prop gun “unexpectedly discharged,” CNN reported, injuring a sound technician.
“Halls was removed from set immediately after the prop gun discharged,” the movie’s production company, Rocket Soul Studios, told CNN. “Production did not resume filming until Dave was off site. An incident report was taken and filed at that time.”
Nathan Place25 October 2021 23:46
Here are some of the rules about using guns on film sets:
Clemence Michallon25 October 2021 23:15
Hilaria Baldwin has made her first public comments since the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
On Instagram, she wrote: “My heart is with Halyna. Her husband. Her son. Their family and loved ones. And my Alec.”
Clemence Michallon25 October 2021 22:32
Svetlana Androsovyc, Halyna Hutchins’s sister, has spoken out and paid tribute to the cinematographer.
Speaking to the Kyiv Post, Androsovyc said: “I cannot comprehend [her passing]. I loved her very much; I was very proud of her, and she was my role model. We were always close and remained in touch, despite the distance.”
Clemence Michallon25 October 2021 21:37
The production of Rust has been officially halted, but producers of the Western described the move as “a pause rather than an end”, The Associated Press reports.
In an email to crew members, the movie’s production team confirmed that work on the film has been suspended at least until the investigation is complete.
The team said it is working with law enforcement and is conducting its own internal safety review. The production company is also offering grief counseling.
Clemence Michallon25 October 2021 21:09