The latest on the Alec Baldwin prop gun shooting

Halyna Hutchins Alec Baldwin SPLIT
Hear the 911 call moments after Alec Baldwin fired prop gun
02:28 - Source: CNN

What we covered

  • The shot that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set last week was fired as actor Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun, court documents show.
  • The film’s director was shot in the shoulder and director of photography Halyna Hutchins was killed when the prop gun went off during a rehearsal Thursday.
  • Baldwin said in a statement Friday that he is cooperating with the police investigation. No charges have been filed in the incident.

Our live coverage of this story has ended. Read the latest here.

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Crew members describe unsafe conditions on previous set before "Rust' assistant director was fired

Three crew members who worked alongside “Rust” assistant director David Halls on another movie where a gun “unexpectedly discharged” in 2019 detailed to CNN what they called unsafe conditions before Halls was fired from the project.

The three crew members recalled details of an incident during the filming of “Freedom’s Path” where an 1800’s-style muzzle-loading rifle unexpectedly fired during a scene, resulting in a boom operator suffering inner ear injuries due to the sound of the explosion. 

The crew members, who did not wish to be identified for fear of industry reprisal, said they were concerned for the safety of crew and cast members on set even before the gun misfire. 

All three said the production did not hold regular safety meetings, contrary to typical industry practice.  

“He was a person with enough red flags that his career should have been done with already. Yet he was still out there, putting crew into outrageous situations. It’s tough to think that Halyna could have just as well been one of our crews,” one of them said. “It was just too close for comfort.”

Rocket Soul said in a statement it “cannot comment on any conversations that may or may not have taken place individually between Dave Halls and crew members.” CNN has asked the company about the crew members’ statements regarding regular safety meetings.

Halls, as well as Rockhill Studios, another production company for “Freedom’s Path,” did not respond to CNN requests for comment. 

According to the three crew members, an armorer was not on set at the time of the 2019 incident, a break from protocol; instead, a background actor in the production was put in charge of handling the firearm for the scene, the crew members said. 

In a statement to CNN, Rocket Soul Studios denied that a background actor was hired as an armorer, saying that an armorer was to be on set in every instance a gun was present.

The company said Halls was removed from the set and fired from the production. 

“Halls was removed from set immediately after the prop gun discharged. Production did not resume filming until Dave was off site. An incident report was taken and filed at that time,” it said.

“Upon wrapping production for the day, Dave Halls was officially terminated and given the specific reasons for his termination,” The company continued. “Dave was very remorseful for the events, and understood the reasons he was being terminated. A new assistant director as well as a new armorer were hired for the duration of principal photography.”

In the moments before the accidental discharge, one crew member said the gun was announced as a “no fire” or “cold weapon” for the scene. A second crew member said they asked multiple times if the gun was cleared for use in the shot, and did not receive a clear answer.

The two crew members said some rifles used in the making of the movie had been packed with gunpowder but did not contain projectiles. The rifle that misfired was not supposed to be loaded at all, the two crew members said.

The accidental discharge disoriented a boom microphone operator, who suffered injuries to their inner ear and required medical attention after experiencing hearing loss and balance issues, according to the crew members.

When reached by phone Sunday, the boom operator acknowledged the incident but did not comment further on the matter.  

The film, “Freedom’s Path” is set to release in 2022, according to the Rocket Soul website.

Law enforcement waiting for coroner’s report to help determine what killed Halyna Hutchins

Attendees kneel at a candlelight vigil for the late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 24 in Burbank, California.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s department investigators are still waiting on the forensic report from the coroner’s office which they hope will identify the type of projectile that killed Halyna Hutchins, according to a law enforcement source close the investigation.

Hutchins died and and director Joel Souza was injured after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set of the movie “Rust” on Thursday.

Production on "Rust" to pause indefinitely

The Bonanza Creek Ranch is seen in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on October 23.

In a letter to the cast and crew of “Rust” sent Sunday, the production team behind the project announced it would pause work on the New Mexico set of the movie “at least until the investigations are complete.”

“Our hearts are with all of you, as we all go through this tragic time and mourn the loss of our colleague and dear friend, Halyna Hutchins,” the letter from The Rust Production Team — obtained by CNN — began. “We are family and we must stand beside each other as families do in difficult times. We remain in close touch with Halyna’s family and commend the strength they show in the face of unspeakable tragedy. It is beyond an inspiration.” 

The production team said they are cooperating with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office investigation and conducting an internal review of safety protocols. 

“As we go through this crisis, we have made the decision to wrap the set at least until the investigations are complete,” the letter stated. “Although our hearts are broken, and it is hard to see beyond the horizon, this is, at the moment, a pause rather than an end. The spirit that brought us all to this special place remains.”

Grief support resources for the cast and crew were also shared in the letter, and the production team announced they will be making a donation to the Halyna Hutchins Scholarship Fund established by her family.

"Rust" assistant director was fired from previous movie after gun incident injured crew member

David Halls

The assistant director on the movie “Rust,” who handed a prop gun to Alec Baldwin before the fatal shooting last week, was previously fired from a film production after a gun incident injured a crew member, the movie’s production company told CNN.

Dave Halls was serving as assistant director on the film “Freedom’s Path” in 2019, when a gun “unexpectedly discharged” on set, causing a sound crew member to recoil from the blast, halting production, the production company Rocket Soul Studios said Monday.

The sound crew member was evaluated by an on-set medic and advised to seek medical treatment. The crew member returned to the production a few days later, Rocket Soul said.

Following the incident, Halls was removed from the set and fired from the production, the company said.

“Halls was removed from set immediately after the prop gun discharged. Production did not resume filming until Dave was off site. An incident report was taken and filed at that time,” it said.

“Upon wrapping production for the day, Dave Halls was officially terminated and given the specific reasons for his termination,” The company continued. “Dave was very remorseful for the events, and understood the reasons he was being terminated. A new assistant director as well as a new armorer were hired for the duration of principal photography. Production of the film finished successfully.”

When reached by CNN, the sound crew member did not want to comment on the matter. Halls could not be reached for comment.

 Watch:

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03:53 - Source: cnn

"The Rookie" changes prop weapons policy following fatal shooting on "Rust" set

Mekia Cox, Nathan Fillion and Melissa O’Neil star in “The Rookie.”

One ABC TV series has instated a new policy that will ban the use of so-called “live” weapons on set, following the fatal shooting on a movie set in New Mexico.

The showrunner on ABC’s “The Rookie,” a cop drama starring Nathan Fillion, sent a letter to the cast and crew explaining the change over the weekend. CNN reviewed the text of the letter, provided by sources close to production.

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report the change.

In the letter, showrunner Alexi Hawley said the events on the set of “Rust,” which left director of photography Halyna Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza injured, prompted the change in policy.

“The Rookie’s” new policy will mandate the use of airsoft guns, which are replica guns with reduced power that typically fire plastic pellets.

Hawley said in his letter that other effects will be added using computers in the post-production process.

Weapons expert Ben Simmons previously explained to CNN that typically three types of prop guns are used on set:

  • Completely fake firearms (that look real but can’t fire anything)
  • Deactivated firearms
  • Real firearms, which are loaded with blanks and mimic actual shooting, from flash to recoil

“The safety of our cast and crew is too important. Any risk is too much risk,” Hawley wrote.

CNN has contacted representatives of ABC and “The Rookie” for comment.

The investigation into the deadly incident on the set of “Rust” is ongoing.

Over the weekend, it was reported that actor Alec Baldwin had been given a prop firearm during a rehearsal and been told it was a so-called “cold gun,” a term meant to indicate the weapon didn’t have live rounds, according to an affidavit for a search warrant for the movie set filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT.

According to the affidavit, Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns by assistant director David Halls that were set up in a cart by an armorer for the movie “Rust.”

Halls did not know there were “live rounds” in the gun, the affidavit said.

It has not yet been determined what the gun Baldwin fired was loaded with, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

"Rust" crew member cites "negligence and unprofessionalism" for fatal shooting on movie set

A crew member on the set of “Rust,” Serge Svetnoy, says the death of cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins on set, was a result of  “negligence and unprofessionalism.”

On a public Facebook post Sunday Svetnoy wrote, “I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna (Hutchins) during this fatal shot that took her life and injured the director Joel Souza.”  

He added that he “was holding her in my arms while she was dying,” and “Her blood was on my hands.”

Though Svetnoy doesn’t name her, search warrant documents identified Hannah Gutierrez as the armorer who prepared the gun for Alec Baldwin.

“I’m sure that we had the professionals in every department, but one - the department that was responsible for the weapons. There is no way a twenty-four-year-old woman can be a professional with armory,” wrote Svetnoy. “Professionals are the people who have spent years on sets, people who know this job from A to Z; These are the people who have the safety on set at the level of reflexes; they do not need to be told to put the sandbag on a tripod, fix the ladder on the stage, or fence off the explosion site. They have it in their blood. I’m calling out to the Producers!”

Gutierrez has not responded to CNN’s requests for comment.

On a podcast last month, Gutierrez said she had recently finished her first job as head armorer on a film titled “The Old Way” with Nicolas Cage, and that her father had been teaching her about guns since she was 16.

Svetnoy said cost-cutting sacrifices safety. “To save a dime sometimes, you hire people who are not fully qualified for the complicated and dangerous job, and you risk the lives of the other people who are close and your lives as well.”  

Svetnoy mentions his trauma and the pain of those left behind. “I do not wish anyone to go through what I went through, what her husband @Matt Hutchins and her son Andros went through, and the actor Alec Baldwin, who has been handed a gun on set. He has to live with the thought that he took the life of the human because of unprofessional people.” 

CNN has reached out to Svetnoy to elaborate on his criticisms.

The movie’s producers did not reply to CNN directly but, a source close to production tells CNN “His Facebook post has a lot of misinformation in it… he said they were penny pinching and didn’t hire good people, but this is a union certified set.” 

“When it comes to safety there were three full safety meetings held since they started production – and they had a full safety meeting the day of the accident. This notion that no one was addressing safety from covid protocol to weapons on set and procedures is not true. These are not 5 -minute (meetings),” the source said.

Alec Baldwin's wife posts first public comments on "Rust" shooting incident

Hilaria Baldwin has addressed the “Rust” set shooting for the first time publicly.

The wife of Alec Baldwin posted a statement on her verified Instagram account Monday.

“My heart is with Halyna,” Hilaria Baldwin wrote in her post, referring to filmmaker Halyna Hutchins, who died after Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on set last week. “Her husband. Her son. Their family and loved ones. And my Alec.”

“It’s said, ‘there are no words’ because it’s impossible to express shock and heartache of such a tragic accident,” she wrote. “Heartbreak. Loss. Support.”

Hutchins, the film’s director of photography, died after Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on set Thursday. Director Joel Souza was injured.

Read the full Instagram post below:

There were 2 accidental gun discharges on the set of "Rust" before the fatal shooting, reports say

Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

There were at least two accidental prop gun discharges on the set of the Alec Baldwin film “Rust” in the days prior to the shooting that led to the death of its cinematographer, according to multiple news reports. 

The discharges occurred on Oct. 16, when crew members accidentally fired two rounds after being told the gun was “cold,” the Los Angeles Times reported, citing two crew members who reportedly witnessed the incident. It was not known if the discharges included live rounds. 

No one was injured in the accidental discharges, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The movie’s producers said in a statement Friday it was not aware of prop safety issues prior to the fatal shooting.

“The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company. Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down. We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time,” Rust Movie Productions LLC said. 

Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on Thursday during a rehearsal, killing Halyna Hutchins and wounding the film’s director Joel Souza. 

A search warrant affidavit filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said Baldwin was handed a gun by Dave Halls, the film’s assistant director, who did not know the weapon contained “live rounds.” Baldwin has said he is cooperating with the investigation into the shooting.

A look back at Halyna Hutchins' career and love of filmmaking 

A woman lays down a candle during a vigil for cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, on Sunday, October 24, in Burbank, California.

Halyna Hutchins died doing what she loved on the set of the film “Rust.”

And that love is being returned as colleagues and friends remember the journalist turned cinematographer who died after the film’s star and executive producer Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on set in New Mexico last week. Hutchins was 42.

The film’s director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured during the incident.

Hutchins participated in a Blackmagic Collective live stream in April where she talked about her filmmaking.

A native of Ukraine, Hutchins grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, “surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines,” according to her website. She obtained a graduate degree in International Journalism from Kyiv National University.

She worked as an investigative journalist with British documentary productions in Europe, where she did feature documentaries for the BBC and Discovery prior to moving to New York City.

“In New York I really took on photography,” Hutchins said in an interview for “Why Women Are Excelling in Hollywood” posted on YouTube in June. “Fashion photography, I did a lot and just wanted to make art films, actually. Just something really big scale, beautiful, just art house cinema.”

“When I moved to Los Angeles, I tried to figure out what the next step would be,” she said. “Where do you start when you don’t know anybody? Where do you begin?”

That led her to a UCLA extension course on directing “just to get my feet wet,” Hutchins recalled, where she quickly figured out she loved cinematography more than directing.

“I shot like 15 shorts there,” she said. “So, I kept shooting and I thought that’s probably my calling.”

Hutchins worked with a lighting company and then later attended what she called “the best institution for my profession,” the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory, where she graduated in 2015.

After her death, actor Jensen Ackles, who worked with Hutchins on “Rust,” posted on Instagram that he had donated to an AFI scholarship fund in her name.

“Earlier last week I felt compelled to tell Halyna just how awesome I thought she was. I told her how incredible I thought her camera shots were and just how exciting it was to watch her and her teamwork,” he wrote. “Truly. She laughed and said thank you and gave me a hug. I’ll forever be thankful we had that moment.”

During the Blackmagic Collective live stream, Hutchins shared what attracted her to different films.

“The base of the characters is the most exciting part for me,” she said. “If I can get on a journey with the characters. Genre doesn’t really matter, it’s just the environment you create around it to convey the character’s journey.”

“If I want to see this movie, I would like to make it,” she said.

When asked during the “Why Women Are Excelling in Hollywood” interview what it was about cinematography that attracted her, Hutchins had a heartfelt answer.

“It’s a passion for sure,” she said. “Once you get the bug, you can’t get out of it.”

Multiple agencies are investigating how and why the shooting happened

A Santa Fe County Sheriff's vehicle is seen at the entrance to the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Monday, October 25. 

A film crew member died and another was injured last week after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set of a movie.

“Rust,” which was being shot at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico, was starring Baldwin, who is also a producer of the film.

A 911 call obtained by KOAT offered a glimpse into the minutes following the shooting. A crew member told the operator that two people had been “accidentally” shot on set.

Baldwin on Friday said he’s in contact with Hutchins’ family.

“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,” Baldwin tweeted.

“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

According to the affidavit, all firearms and ammunition, cameras and computer equipment and the clothes worn by the actors at the time of the shooting were to be seized.

Baldwin’s western-style clothes appeared to be stained with blood, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office affidavit.

The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau is also investigating.

“The production company reported the fatality and injury to OHSB last night, in accordance with workplace safety laws. OHSB is investigating the incident in coordination with law enforcement, the employer, and employees,” the agency said in a statement.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office also secured the shooting scene, spokesman Juan Ríos said.

Veteran prop master says there "never" should be a live round on a set

Prop master Lucien Charles, who has worked on shows like “The Blacklist,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and “Saturday Night Live,” said that “negligence” allowed a live round to get into the gun on the set of Alec Baldwin’s film, “Rust”

“That should never have happened. The guns are always checked or need to have checked and that should not have happened,” Charles told CNN.

Charles said that there should “never” be a live round on set.

In terms of how movie sets handle having guns on the premises, Charles said “there’s a lot of checks and balances.”

“The prop master gets the gun from a vendor. If the armorer is involved, they’ll get the gun and check it. When it’s off set, there’s a safety check, bring your crew around with the AD (assistant director), go over the gun with the actors and any crew members interested in seeing the gun. Then it’s handled off from the prop master to the actor and that’s where it ends right there.”

Assistant director on "Rust" was subject of complaints dating back to 2019

Dave Halls, the assistant director on the film set of “Rust,” was the subject of complaints over safety and his behavior on set during two productions in 2019, two people who worked closely with Halls tell CNN.

The complaints include a disregard for safety protocols for weapons and pyrotechnics use, fire lanes and exits were consistently blocked, and instances of inappropriately sexual behavior in the workplace.

In a statement to CNN, Maggie Goll, an IATSE Local 44 prop maker and licensed pyrotechnician, said that while working on Hulu’s “Into the Dark” anthology series in February and May 2019, Halls neglected to hold safety meetings and consistently failed to announce the presence of a firearm on set to the crew, as is protocol. 

“The only reason the crew was made aware of a weapon’s presence was because the assistant prop master demanded Dave acknowledge and announce the situation each day,” Goll’s statement reads.

She added that the prop master would “announce each day when a gun would be required on camera, the disposition of that weapon - whether it was a rubber/plastic replica, a non-firing option, or a “cold” functional, but unloaded option, allowing anyone to inspect said weapon prior to bringing it to set and presenting it to the talent. (…) The Prop Master frequently admonished Dave for dismissing the talent without returning props, weapon included, or failing to make safety announcements.”

Goll’s statement also describes an instance where a licensed pyrotechnician had a medical emergency on set and Halls asked her to continue with the shoot. “I told him they are free to film whatever they want, but that there would be no fire or sparks, etc., until the medic, fire safety officer, and all of my crewmates were safely back on set,” Goll details. 

A crew member who also worked in the productions but requested to not be named for fear of retaliation corroborated Goll’s accounts, saying that when Halls did hold safety meetings, they were short and he was dismissive, saying the guns used would be the same as the production always uses, and questioning why they’d have to hold the meetings in the first place. 

The crew member also said Halls complained about having a gun “cleared” (inspected by a licensed professional on set, such as an armorer) for a scene where an actress would aim the gun to her own head and pull the trigger.

Goll and the other crew member told CNN of another instance where Halls insisted on continuing filming on location while a storm hit, where electrical lights were touching mud, wires were exposed to the rain, and crew members feared for their safety.

On the allegations of sexual misconduct, Goll said she did not file a complaint, but says that “on my first day back on the series, another crew member told me to “watch out” for Dave, saying he was too physically familiar with the crew, despite many rebuffs and complaints about unwanted and unnecessary touches. Nothing too extreme, but crew members of all genders and dispositions were being made uncomfortable by Dave’s touches to their backs, waists, shoulders, etc.”

Goll said at the time she called a production safety line and complained internally to Blumhouse Productions executive producers in person. She also said she informed the Directors Guild of America (DGA) regarding unsafe persons. “To my knowledge nothing was done after my complaints,” her statement reads. 

Halls did not respond to CNN’s request for comment Saturday night about Goll’s allegations against him.

Gun experts raise questions over how "Rust" shooting occurred

This aerial photo shows the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday, October 23.

Authorities issued a search warrant for the property where the movie “Rust” was being filmed and will be carefully combing it over the weekend, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s spokesperson Juan Rios told CNN. 

The film’s director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, died and and director Joel Souza was injured after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set of the movie on Thursday.

The shooting has raised critical questions from gun experts looking into how the tragic incident occurred.

“There’s no reason to have had a firearm that was capable of discharging live ammo on the set,” Steve Wolf, a firearms safety expert, told CNN on Saturday. “A prop gun is a gun that’s been specifically manufactured for shooting blanks, not bullets. In fact, the bullets won’t fit into a gun that’s been modified properly, only blanks will fit into it.

“And that’s a safeguard to ensure that live ammo is not loaded into guns that are used on set. So if you don’t use the right type of gun, you’re not going to get the safety benefit that’s been engineered into it,” Wolf said.

Before the shooting, some crew members quit over safety concerns on set – including gun inspections and Covid-19 protocols not being followed, according to the Los Angeles Times and other media reports.

Three crew members who were on the set last weekend told the Los Angeles Times there were two accidental prop gun discharges before Thursday’s fatal shooting. On Oct. 16, Baldwin’s stunt double unintentionally fired rounds after he was told the gun was “cold,” two of the crew members, who witnessed the discharges, told the newspaper.

The film’s production company told Deadline in a statement that it was not notified of official complaints regarding weapon or prop safety on set.

“We will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down,” Rust Movie Productions, LLC said in a statement. “The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company.”

CNN has made multiple attempts to reach Rust Movie Productions for comment but has not received a response.

Hollywood has a history of on-set accidents. Here's a look back at some of them.

Vic Morrow, Brandon Lee and Jon-Erik Hexum.

Hollywood is the land of make-believe, but the very real specter of death can hover over television and movie sets.

The death of 42-year-old director of photography Halyna Hutchins while working on the movie “Rust” in New Mexico after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun is just the latest on-set tragedy.

There have been multiple other cases of deaths of cast and crew from accidents during production, including:

Brandon Lee

In 1993, Brandon Lee was filming the final scenes of the movie “The Crow” when he died after being shot with a prop gun.

Actor Michael Massee fired at Lee during a scene with a gun that was later found to have been be improperly loaded. Dummy bullets had been replaced with cardboard wadding, but a portion from one of the dummy bullets had broken off and remained in the gun.

That metal tip from the dummy bullet hit Lee’s abdomen. The son of the renowned martial-arts master and actor Bruce Lee was 28.

Jon-Erik Hexum

Hexum was cast to play Mac Harper, a CIA operative posing as a male model in the TV series “Cover Up.”

While filming in 1984, Hexum reportedly was playing around with a prop gun from a scene and shot himself in the head.

The blank drove a piece of his skull into his brain, and he was taken off of life support a week later.

Vic Morrow

The actor and two child actors were being filmed fleeing from a village during the Vietnam War while a US Army helicopter hovered over them in 1982’s “Twilight Zone: The Movie.”

The copter crashed following a pyrotechnic explosion, landing on Morrow, 53, and the children, who were killed.

Director John Landis, the pilot and three others were charged with involuntary manslaughter. They were all acquitted following a high-profile trial that lasted almost nine months.

Read more here.

GoFundMe account for Halyna Hutchins surpasses $200,000

Halyna Hutchins attends the SAGindie Sundance Filmmakers Reception in Park City, Utah, in 2019. 

The online fundraising page established for Halyna Hutchins’ family has raised more than $200,000.

The verified GoFundMe page was created by the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 one day after Hutchins was killed on a New Mexico movie set when she was struck by a live round from a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin.

“Local 600 mourns the passing of Halyna Hutchins, a Director of Photography who died from injuries sustained on the set of “Rust” in New Mexico, on Thursday, October 21. Halyna is survived by her husband, Matthew, and her 9-year-old son. In memory of Halyna, Local 600 has set up this GoFundMe page to help raise funds for her family at this difficult time,” the union says in a statement posted on the page.

The page vaulted well past its initial fundraising goal of $10,000 and is now over $200,000.

"Rust" cast member remembers Halyna Hutchins as "an inspiration"

Actor Jensen Ackles, listed as a “Rust” cast member on the entertainment website IMDb, posted a message on his verified Instagram account Sunday, remembering Halyna Hutchins.

“I’m not even sure where to start. This has been a tragedy of epic proportions that we are all still processing,” Ackles writes.

“Earlier last week I felt compelled to tell Halyna just how awesome I thought she was. I told her how incredible I thought her camera shots were and just how exciting it was to watch her and her team work. Truly. She laughed and said ‘thank you’ and gave me a hug. I’ll forever be thankful we had that moment.  She had a spunk and passion that infected the entire crew from the top down,” the actor says in the Instagram post Sunday evening.

“My heart and prayers go out to Halyna’s husband, son and the rest of her family. There just aren’t enough words to express what an immense loss this is. She will be incredibly missed by all of us who knew and admired her,” Ackles adds.

Baldwin's clothes appeared to have blood stains after the shooting, according to an affidavit

The “Old Western style” clothes that actor Alec Baldwin was wearing at the time of Thursday’s fatal shooting appeared to have blood stains on them, according to the affidavit issued by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT.

Baldwin’s clothing from the movie set was among the items turned over to authorities after the incident, according to the affidavit.

Halyna Hutchins' husband calls her loss "enormous"

Halyna Hutchins works on the set of "Archenemy" in 2019, in Los Angeles.

Family, peers and community members of Halyna Hutchins mourned the cinematographer’s untimely death after the 42-year-old was killed on the film set of “Rust” from a firearm mishap.

Her husband Matthew Hutchins tweeted Friday that the loss was “enormous.”

“Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words,” he tweeted. “Our loss is enormous, and we ask that the media please respect my family’s privacy as we process our grief. We thank everyone for sharing images and stories of her life.”

In addition, her sister offered words of grief in an interview with the Kyiv Post on Friday.

“I cannot comprehend (her passing),” said Svetlana Androsovych, who currently lives in Indonesia. “I loved her very much … I was very proud of her and she was my role model. We were always close and remained in touch, despite the distance.”

“This loss is a great grief for our family, and I see how hard it is for our parents,” she added. “Hopefully, time will ease our heartache.”

CNN has reached out to Androsovych but not yet heard back.

The comments add to the fond memories of Hutchins, who was killed when actor and producer Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on a film set Thursday in New Mexico.

A candlelight vigil for Hutchins brought out hundreds of mourners Saturday evening in the state.

“I would’ve been lucky to do another movie with a person like that,” said Lane Looper, a crew member on the “Rust” film set. “She was a wonderful mom and wife and was just a wonderful soul, and I really hope more people like her exist.”

The shooting occurred as the film crew was rehearsing a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico. The film’s assistant director, David Halls, handed a prop gun to Baldwin and yelled “cold gun,” a remark meant to indicate the weapon didn’t have live rounds, according to an affidavit for a search warrant for the movie set filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT.

According to the affidavit, Baldwin was handed one of three prop guns that were set up in a cart by an armorer for the movie. Halls did not know there were live rounds in the gun, the affidavit said.

When Baldwin fired the gun, a live round hit Hutchins, 42, in the chest and wounded director Joel Souza, 48, who was nearby, according to the affidavit. Hutchins was pronounced dead at the hospital after being airlifted.

Alec Baldwin was "practicing a cross draw" when his weapon was fired, film director says

The shot that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set last week was fired as actor Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun, according to the director who was injured in the shooting, court documents show.

Joel Souza, director of the film “Rust,” was shot in the shoulder and director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed when the prop gun went off during a rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe Thursday.

Souza spoke to investigators Friday, according to an affidavit for a search warrant released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday.

Souza told them Baldwin was “sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practicing a cross draw,” the affidavit said. A cross draw is when a shooter pulls the weapon from a holster on the opposite side of the body from the draw hand. 

Souza was looking over Hutchins’ shoulder “when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop,” according to the affidavit.

Souza recalled Hutchins “complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection” after the shot was fired, the document said. 

Investigators also talked with camera operator Reid Russell, who was standing next to Souza and Hutchins at the time of the incident, the affidavit said.

Russell recalled Hutchins “saying she couldn’t feel her legs” and medics treating her as she was bleeding on the floor, investigators said.

Both Souza and Russell acknowledged difficulties on set that day because of a walkout of some members of the camera department over payment and housing. Due to the labor problems, Souza said they had only one camera available to use that day, and it was not recording at the time of the incident.

Souza also confirmed to an investigator that he heard the term “cold gun” on set, meaning the firearm should have been empty. 

According to the warrant, Souza said three people had been handling the guns or firearms for scenes – they were checked by the armorer and first assistant director and then given to the actor using them.

The investigator said Souza was unaware of anyone on set being checked to see if they had live ammunition on them before or after the scenes were filmed.

“The only thing checked are the firearms to avoid live ammunition being in them. Joel (Souza) stated there should never be live rounds whatsoever near or around the scene,” the affidavit said. 

Souza’s representatives have not returned CNN’s requests for comment.      

According to the affidavit, Russell told investigators Baldwin was “trying to explain how he was going to draw out the firearm and where his arm would be at when the firearm was pulled from the holster.”

Russell “was not sure why the firearm was discharged and just remembered the loud bang from the firearm,” the affidavit says.

When asked how Baldwin handled the firearm, Russell told investigators the actor “had been very careful” and recalled an earlier instance when Baldwin “made sure it was safe and that a child wasn’t near him when they were discharging a firearm during that scene.”

The search warrant sought to recover any footage, video cameras, computer equipment and memory cards used by cameras on the set. 

No charges have been filed in the incident. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office says it will discuss the case further in a news conference Wednesday.