During the shooting of a scene of the new western "Rust" in the state of New Mexico, the producer and performer of the main role in the film - the popular Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot the cameraman Galina Hutchins. The director of the film, Joel Souza, was also injured by his shots.
The incident occurred during the filming of a scene in which Baldwin was supposed to fire blank cartridges, but the weapon malfunctioned. During the shot, bullet fragments scattered and injured two people. The weapon was used on the site as a prop.
42-year-old Halyna Hutchins was flown to the hospital. However, the woman died from her injuries. Despite the fact that Hutchins has been living and working in the USA for a long time, she had Ukrainian citizenship. This was reported by the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleg Nikolenko.
The 48-year-old film director Joel Souz was also taken to the hospital in a critical condition. He was wounded in the collarbone.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office officially confirmed the incident on the set. The sheriff has not yet charged anyone in connection with the shooting.
Alec Baldwin has already given a statement to the investigators, after which he left the police station.
The producers emphasized that the production of the film has been halted for an indefinite period. They added that the members of the filming group will be provided with the help of psychologists.
It should be noted that Halyna Hutchins is an American cinematographer-director of Ukrainian origin. She worked on more than thirty films, shorts and mini-series. She studied journalism in Kyiv and cinematography in Los Angeles. In 2019, American Cinematographer magazine called her a "rising star" in the film industry. The woman was left with a husband and a young child.
