Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun on a New Mexico film set for the 19th century western “Rust”. 48-year-old director Joel Souza was also injured due to this incident. 

After the incident, Hutchins, 42, was airlifted in a helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital. However, she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, said the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. 

The incident happened on 21 October afternoon during filming of a gunfight scene at a ranch. It was the 12th day of a 21-day shoot. Hutchins was huddled around a monitor lining up her next camera shot when Baldwin pulled a gun out of a holster. 

According to CNN, a search warrant issued by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office revealed that Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns by assistant director David Halls that were set up in a cart by an armourer. Halls handed the gun to Baldwin and yelled, "Cold gun," meaning the gun did not have live rounds, the affidavit states.

The film crew also shared that the safety protocols standard, including gun inspections, were not strictly followed on the set. The crew members said that they were particularly concerned about two accidental prop gun discharges that occurred before the fatal shooting, as reported by the LA Times. Baldwin’s stunt double accidentally fired two rounds after being told that the gun was “cold”, as witnessed by two crew members. 

Baldwin had spoken to detectives, and in his statement he says he's “fully cooperating with police”. “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation,” Baldwin wrote in a series of tweets.

“My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna,” he tweeted.