Outpouring of condolences from Brandon Lee’ sister, industry figures & fans after death during shooting of Rust involving Baldwin

People reacted with shock and grief to the death of Halyna Hutchins, a director of photography at the Western flick ‘Rust’, who was killed after actor Alec Baldwin misfired his prop firearm while cameras were rolling.

Hutchins was fatally injured in New Mexico and pronounced dead at hospital while ‘Rust’ director Joel Souza was briefly taken to hospital after having been injured.

There has been an outpouring of support from people in the movie industry and fans to those affected by the Thursday tragedy.

Shannon Lee, the sister of actor Brandon Lee, who was infamously killed in a similar incident during the shooting of ‘The Crow’ in 1993, said “our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident”.

“No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period,” she added in a post on the Twitter account, which she is running in her brother’s name as a tribute to his life and untimely death. “Brandon Lee” trended on the platform after the news about the incident in Sante Fe county, New Mexico broke, as people drew the obvious parallel.

Many others in the movie industry, including people who knew Hutchins personally, have been responding to her death. ‘True Blood’ actor Joe Manganiello said how lucky he was to have her as director of photography during the shooting of ‘Archenemy’, calling the late woman “an incredible talent & great person.”

‘Archenemy’ director Adam Egypt Mortimer said he was “infuriated” by the circumstances of Hutchins’ death. He retweeted his own 2020 thread celebrating her talent and expressing gratitude for her contribution to the production.

James Gunn said an incident like the one that claimed Hutchins’ life was his “greatest fear” as a film director. “My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family,” he said.

Actor Elijah Wood said the news was “absolutely horrifying and devastating”. Grimm and Arrowverse star Elizabeth Tulloch said her “heart breaks” for Hutchins and everyone touched by her death, which she called “horrific” and “likely preventable”.

The co-star of the Bill & Ted film franchise, Alex Winter, offered his deepest condolences and posted a hashtag supporting the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, a union of entertainment workers. Paul Scheer of ‘The League’ fame said he was “gutted” by the news and called Hutchins’ death “a crime” of negligence.

The investigation of the incident is in its early stages and no charges were filed immediately. Baldwin was photographed in tears after visiting the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office following the tragedy. Many comments came in support of the actor, who appeared as shocked by the situation as one may expect a human being to be.

“No one comes to work hoping to kill their workmate,” one sympathetic person tweeted. “What an awful thing to happen. The poor guy’s family.”

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