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Vigil held in Los Angeles after ‘tragic’ shooting on set of Alec Baldwin film

A candlelit vigil has been held in Los Angeles for Halyna Hutchins after she was fatally shot with a prop gun on a film set.

The 42-year-old died on Thursday after being injured while filming the Western movie Rust after the actor Alec Baldwin shot the firearm.

The cinematographer was airlifted to hospital in New Mexico but was pronounced dead by medical staff.

(@VPS_Reports/Twitter/PA)
(@VPS_Reports/Twitter/PA)

Images on social media showed crowds gathering in Los Angeles with candles and placards paying tribute to Hutchins.

Vishal P Singh, 28, a journalist and filmmaker from Los Angeles, described the mood at the vigil as “sombre but resilient”.

He told the PA news agency: “People were heartbroken over this tragic and avoidable death – and were committed to discussing ways to prevent incidents like this from ever happening again.

“From her friends, old classmates from the American Film Institute, and filmmakers who came from across the industry to pay their respects: it was clear Hutchins was well loved and missed, as an artist and a friend and a mother.”

(@VPS_Reports/Twitter/PA)
(@VPS_Reports/Twitter/PA)

He said that although he did not know Hutchins he wanted to pay his respects.

On Friday, Baldwin released a statement expressing his “shock and sadness” at Hutchins’ death and confirmed he was “fully co-operating” with the police investigation into the incident.

In a statement posted on Twitter, he described the event as a tragedy and said he was in communication with Hutchins’ husband.

Photographs published by The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper shortly after the incident showed an emotional Baldwin doubled over and apparently in tears outside a police station.

Director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured during the shooting but was discharged from hospital on Friday following treatment, according to Frances Fisher, who stars in the film.