On the day of the fatal shooting at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a Western movie set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, actor Alec Baldwin and crew members were rehearsing a scene for the film “Rust.” Things took a tragic turn when a prop gun, believed to be unloaded, was handed to Baldwin by assistant director Dave Halls.
During the rehearsal, Baldwin was demonstrating a “cross draw” maneuver with the gun, pointing it towards the camera. Suddenly, at around 1:50 p.m., a loud pop was heard, and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins stumbled backward, clutching her stomach and saying she couldn’t feel her legs.
Chaos erupted as crew members scrambled and a medic tried to stop Hutchins’ bleeding. Despite being rushed to a hospital 55 miles away in Albuquerque, Hutchins, 42, was pronounced dead. Director Joel Souza, 48, also suffered a gunshot wound to his right shoulder.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the film industry, prompting calls for stricter safety measures on set. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and more details are expected to emerge in the coming days.
