Film photographer Haylna Hutchins lost her life on Thursday when actor Alec Baldwin fired a sharp-edged prop pistol during the filming of the western film “Rust”. Hutchins was shot in the chest, while director Joel Souza, who was standing just behind her, was hit in the shoulder. Souza was rushed to hospital but has since been discharged.
Just seconds before the tragic accident, Baldwin received the gun from the assistant director, who shouted that it was a “cold gun”, meaning that it was safe to fire.
Heartbroken
Two days after the tragedy, director Souza breaks the silence, saying that he is “broken after the loss of my friend and colleague Halyna”.
– Halyna Hutchins was shot in the chest and died of her injuries. Photo: Jeff Vespa / Vespa Pictures / REUTERS
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– She was good, ardent, extremely talented, fought constantly and always motivated me to get better, says the director in a statement reproduced by Sky News.
Souza does not comment on his own injuries in the statement, nor does he provide any new details about the accident, which is still being investigated by the police.
– Actor Alec Baldwin crashed outside the Santa Fe police station. Photo: Jim Weber / Santa Fe New Mexican via AP
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– My thoughts are with her family in this difficult time. I am humbled and grateful for all the support we have received from other filmmakers, Santa Fe residents, and hundreds of strangers who have made contact. It helps me get to grips, Souza concludes.
More problems
The statement comes shortly after several of the employees at the “Rust” set expressed major safety deficiencies during the recording. Among other things, the prop weapon involved in the fatal accident had had problems before, reports Los Angeles Times.
Already last Saturday, the stuntman of actor and producer Alec Baldwin accidentally fired two shots with the same weapon, after being told that the gun was safe to use, according to the newspaper. The incident must have been doused by the production.
– “Rust” was recorded outside Santa Fe. The fatal accident took place inside the small church on the set. Photo: Kob TV News / REUTERS
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– One should investigate what happened. There were no security meetings. There were no guarantees that it would not happen again. All they wanted to do was hurry, an employee of the film set told the LA Times.
Went in protest
A colleague of the man was so frightened after the incident that he sent a text message to the production manager in which he described the prop weapon as “very unsafe”, according to messages shared with the newspaper. Here he also points out that this was the third time the weapon went off by accident.
Only a few hours before the accident on Thursday, several employees are said to have left the film set in protest against lack of safety considerations and difficult working conditions.
Among other things, several are said to have been frustrated by the working conditions on the low-budget film, which included complaints about long working days, commuting and delayed wage payments.
The production company behind the film says they will now investigate the case, which is also being investigated by the police.
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