The Heartbreaking Death Of Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has died at the age of 42 following a tragic incident on the set of the upcoming western movie "Rust" (via People). 

As noted on her official website, Hutchins was born in Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle. She went on to study at Kyiv National University where she earned a degree in International Journalism. At the time of her death, Hutchins was working as a Los Angeles-based union cinematographer and had previously graduated from the AFI conservatory in 2015. 

Per the BBC, some of Hutchins' previous film credits include "Blindfire" written and directed by Mike Nell, a film she described as a "racially charged cop drama," and the Pollyanna McIntosh-directed horror movie "Darlin'," which made its debut at the SXSW film festival in 2019. That same year, Hutchins was named a "rising star" among her peers by American Cinematographer magazine.

Hutchins' sudden passing comes as heartbreaking news to many of her peers in the film industry. But, what are the exact details surrounding her death?

According to People, Hutchins was fatally shot by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the upcoming western film "Rust" on Thursday, October 21. Police arrived at the Bonanza Creek Ranch set of the movie at roughly 1:50 p.m. local time following an emergency call regarding a crew member being shot on the set.

The deceased was later identified as Hutchins, who had been working as the director of cinematography on the film. The sheriff's department also confirmed that Hutchins was shot by Baldwin "when a prop firearm was discharged." She was airlifted by helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital where she sadly died from her injuries.

Just two days before her tragic death, Hutchins uploaded an Instagram video of herself riding a horse on the film's set, with a caption that read, "One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off."

Per the BBC, one of Hutchins' most recent movie credits includes the 2020 action flick "Archenemy." Speaking to BBC News, the film's director, Adam Egypt Mortimer, said it was "really unbelievable" that Hutchins had passed away on a film set. "Halyna was an incredible artist who was just starting a career I think people were really starting to notice." He continued, "The fact that she would be killed on a set in an accident like this is unfathomable. It just seems inconceivable."

Following the tragic news of Halyna Hutchins' death, tributes from many of those who had worked with her throughout the years began to pour in.

Writing on Instagram, actor Joe Manganiello, who worked with Hutchins on the 2020 film "Archenemy," described her as an "absolutely incredible talent and a great person." He continued, "She had such an eye and a visual style, she was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to see what she could pull off next... and she was a fantastic person."

Shannon Lee, the sister of actor Brandon Lee, who was also fatally shot on the set of the 1993 film "The Crow," also shared a tribute to Hutchins on Twitter. "Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust.' No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period," she wrote.