Halyna Hutchins’ family, friends, and community mourned the cinematographer’s untimely death after she was killed on the set of “Rust” by a firearm mishap.
Matthew Hutchins, her husband, tweeted on Friday that the loss was “enormous.”
“With her passion and vision, Halyna inspired us all, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words,” he tweeted. “Our loss is enormous, and we ask that the media please respect my family’s privacy as we process our grief. We thank everyone for sharing images and stories of her life.”
In a Friday interview with the Kyiv Post, her sister also expressed her sorrow.
“I cannot comprehend (her passing),” said Svetlana Androsovych, who currently lives in Indonesia. “I loved her very much … I was very proud of her and she was my role model. We were always close and remained in touch, despite the distance.”
“This loss is a great grief for our family, and I see how hard it is for our parents,” she added. “Hopefully, time will ease our heartache.”
The remarks add to Hutchins’ fond memories, who was killed when actor and producer Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a film set in New Mexico on Thursday.
Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil for Hutchins in the state on Saturday evening.
“I would’ve been lucky to do another movie with a person like that,” said Lane Looper, a crew member on the “Rust” film set. “She was a wonderful mom and wife and was just a wonderful soul, and I really hope more people like her exist.”
The shooting took place at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico, where the film crew was rehearsing a scene. According to an affidavit for a search warrant for the movie set filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by CNN affiliate KOAT, the film’s assistant director, David Halls, handed a prop gun to Baldwin and yelled “cold gun,” a remark meant to indicate the weapon didn’t have live rounds.
Baldwin was given one of three prop guns set up in a cart by an armorer for the movie, according to the affidavit. According to the affidavit, Halls had no idea there were live rounds in the gun.
According to the affidavit, a live round struck Hutchins, 42, in the chest and wounded director Joel Souza, 48, who was nearby, when Baldwin fired the gun. After being airlifted to the hospital, Hutchins was pronounced dead.