Earlier in the week, Serge Svetnoy wrote a text in tribute to Haylna Hutchins. He was standing very close to her when she was shot. Longtime colleagues, they were very good friends. “Yes, I was near her during the shooting which took her life and which injured Joel Souza [le réalisateur qui était juste derrière elle, NDLR]. I held her in my arms when she died (…) All this is due to negligence and a lack of professionalism of the person who was supposed to check this weapon “, he lamented.
For the time being, no official statement from the police has been published. Authorities in New Mexico are currently investigating the reasons for Haylna Hutchins’ death. According to the first elements revealed in the American media, Alec Baldwin was practicing to draw his weapon when the pistol accidentally discharged, touching the director of the photographer and injuring Joel Souza, who spent a night at the ‘hospital.
It is also known that director’s assistant David Halls grabbed a pistol lying in a cart prepared by the gunsmith, before handing it to Alec Baldwin. The assistant then allegedly shouted “Cold Gun!”, A phrase indicating that the gun was not loaded and could be used. Her possible responsibility, as well as that of the (very) young 24-year-old gunsmith, with little experience, are being closely scrutinized by the authorities.