“Rust” director Joel Souza, injured in the on-set tragedy when Alec Baldwin inadvertently shot and killed the film’s cinematographer, is speaking out.
“I am gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna [Hutchins]. She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch, and always pushed me to be better,” the director, Joel Souza, said in a statement to Deadline.
Souza himself was hurt in the shooting — according to a report, the bullet, after passing through Hutchins’ body, struck his clavicle.
“Rust” director Joel Souza praised cinematographer Halyna Hutchins for being “kind, vibrant, incredibly talented,” in the wake of her death. Ron Adar/SOPA Images via ZUMA WireHe was hospitalized, but released Friday, according to Deadline.
“My thoughts are with her family at this most difficult time […] I am humbled and grateful by the outpouring of affection we have received from our filmmaking community, the people of Santa Fe, and the hundreds of strangers who have reached out […] It will surely aid in my recovery,” he told the outlet.
Alec Baldwin has been criticized by gun experts for not following the No. 1 rule of gun safety when it comes to pointing a weapon at a person. Jim Weber/The New Mexican
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was considered a “rising star” in the movie industry. Getty Images for AMC Networks
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was transported and later pronounced dead at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Getty Images
The Christus St. Vincent Medical Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico on October 22, 2021. Getty Images
“Rust” director Joel Souza was injured after being struck in his clavicle from Alec Baldwin’s fired shot. Getty Images