For the first time since the shooting accident that claimed the life of Halyna Hutchins, its director of photography, Joel Souza has spoken.
The director of
Rust
has expressed his distress after the accidental death of his colleague, 42, considered one of the rising stars of the profession.
"I am devastated by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna," he said in a statement relayed by Deadline.
She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to give my best.
My thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time.
"
He also hit in the shoulder when Alec Baldwin fired with the gun, supposed to be unloaded, which killed Halyna Hutchins, Joel Souza was able to leave the hospital a few hours after the accident.
Doctors say he should fully recover from his injuries.
"Flurry of affection"
"I am grateful for the outpouring of affection we have received from our community of filmmakers, the people of Santa Fe and the hundreds of strangers who have reached out to us," he added in his statement.
This will surely help my recovery ”
According to court documents obtained by the BBC, assistant director Dave Halls, responsible for handing over the guns to the cast, was unaware that the pistol he gave Alec Baldwin was loaded.
He shouted "cold gun", the jargon used to announce that the weapon in question is without risk of injuring anyone.
The investigation is still ongoing to determine the responsibilities in this tragedy.
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