Deceased ‘Rust’ Cinematographer Threatened To Walk Off NM Set Before Fatal Shooting

SANTA FE COUNTY, NM. (THECOUNT) — The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office confirmed that actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop weapon on the set of “Rust,” a western being filmed near Sante Fe, New Mexico.

Halyna Hutchins, the flick’s cinematographer, was shot dead during the incident that occurred Thursday afternoon. The director of the movie, Joel Souza, was wounded in the shooting and remains hospitalized.

We are now learning that shortly before Baldwin fatally shot Hutchins, a half-dozen camera crew workers, including Hutchins, walked off the set to protest working conditions.

The camera operators and their assistants were frustrated by the conditions surrounding the low-budget film, including complaints of long hours and pay, according to three people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment.

The camera crew showed up for work as expected at 6:30 a.m. Thursday and began gathering up their gear and personal belongings to leave, one knowledgeable crew member told the Los Angeles Times.

Labor trouble had been brewing for days on the dusty set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, reports LATimes.

According to reports, Baldwin, 63, confirmed there was an accident involving the misfire of a prop gun that was supposed to be loaded with blanks. The shooting occurred at the Bonanza Creek Ranch around 2 p.m. Thursday.

The ranch is located at, Bonanza Creek Ln in Santa Fe.

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s spokesman Juan Rios said detectives were investigating what type of projectile was discharged and how.

No charges have yet been filed.

Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel of gunshot injuries.

Souza, 48, was transported to an area hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

Bonanza Creek Ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western “News of the World.”

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Santa Fe County is located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 144,170, making it New Mexico’s third-most populous county, after Bernalillo County and Doña Ana County. Its county seat is Santa Fe, the state capital – Wikipedia.