Actor Alec Baldwin issued his first public response on Friday after he fatally shot a crew member and injured a director on the set of a forthcoming movie.
Officials confirmed that Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year-old director of photography on the film “Rust” was pronounced dead after being airlifted to the University of New Mexico hospital. Joel Souza, the director of the film, was injured in the incident.
Sheriff’s officials in Santa Fe County confirmed Thursday they are probing the shooting, saying that the gun in question appeared to be a “prop firearm when it was discharged” during a scene. “Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the International Cinematographers Guild said it mourned the loss of Hutchins and wants a full investigation into the matter.
“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event,” the group said in a statement to several news outlets. “This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family,” the statement added.
An agency that represented Hutchins issued a statement after she was shot and killed.
The incident harks back to 1993 when Brandon Lee, the son of martial artist Bruce Lee, was shot and killed during the filming of “The Crow.” The gun that killed Lee was supposed to have blanks, but a bullet was lodged inside the barrel.