Baldwin fired the prop gun that accidentally discharged and killed director of photography Halyna Hutchins and hospitalized director Joel Souza — a similar accident to the one that killed Lee on the set of “The Crow” in 1993.
Following a tragic on-set accident that cost the life of one member of the crew, and injured its director, production on Alec Baldwin’s western film, “Rust,” has been halted for an “undetermined period of time,” per its production team.
According to the Sheriff’s Department in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where production was underway, it was Baldwin who discharged the prop gun that resulted in the death of director of photography Halyna Hutchins, as reported by TMZ. The film’s director Joel Souza was also injured and is currently hospitalized.
“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,” a spokesperson for Rust Movies Production LLC told Deadline in a statement.
“We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation,” the statement continued. “We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”
According to the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department, Baldwin has been questioned and released. “No arrests or charges have been filed,” an official from that department told Deadline.
This isn’t the first time a prop gun has caused an accidental death on a studio production, with the most well-known probably coming in 1993 when Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was accidentally shot and killed while finishing production on “The Crow.”
The film was ultimately released the following year, with Lee receiving praise for his performance. His sister, Shannon Lee, has been maintaining a Twitter account in his name to honor his legacy.
Taking to that platform, Lee’s family responded to the latest tragedy, tweeting, “Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on ‘Rust.’ No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.”
The apparent similarities between the accidents saw Lee’s name trending on Twitter, with many fans mourning his loss all over again, while mourning the loss of Hutchins and questioning how this kind of accident can still happen after nearly 30 years.
Others across Hollywood shared their condolences for the tragic loss of life and the traumatic accident. Some took their messages to the final post Hutchins shared to her Instagram, a video she shot of herself riding horseback on the film’s New Mexico location shoot.
Dwayne Johnson commented shortly after the news broke, writing, “I am so so sorry. Rest easy. My love and strength to your family.” You can see other reactions below.
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