Cinematographer Halyna Hutchkins died, and Joel Souza was wounded on the set of the movie “Rust'' in a gun incident on October 21st, 2021. Actor Alec Baldwin fired what was supposed to be a prop weapon only to find out that he had shot two people. Hutchkins was taken via helicopter to the hospital where she unfortunately died, while Sauza was taken in an ambulance where his injuries were treated. The Sheriff's office declared the incident an open and active shooting investigation. They have yet to use the word “accident”; however, no arrests have been made and no charges have been pressed towards Baldwin.
For now, the main focus of the investigators has been to find out the type of round that was shot in the incident. This can help determine the source and origin of the tragedy. The investigators questioned Baldwin, who was in tears and completely devastated about what had happened. Neither Hutchkins nor Souza’s family have pressed charges against Baldwin or anyone involved in the movie. Everyone in the set, along with the company behind the production of “Rust”, has been fully cooperative with the investigation.
Baldwin has remained mostly quiet about the situation in order to deal with his own grief and sorrow. Many have shown their compassion, such as the Directors Guild of America, actors, the company behind the production, and Michael Pessah. Currently, Micheal is a cinematographer who was friends with Halyna and said that Halyna was heading in a great upwards direction. The production company stated that they were sending their deepest condolences to Hutchins’s family and that production would stop indefinitely. The company is also providing counseling to the staff involved because of the trauma behind the event. Lots of support has been issued, yet all eyes are on Baldwin.
Baldwin stated that he is cooperating with the sheriff department and is also discussing the issue online by tweeting, “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident”. However, further investigation needs to be made in order to answer the question regarding why this tragedy happened in the first place.