Alec Baldwin 'heartbroken' over fatally shooting colleague while on film set

Earlier today, news outlets were besides themselves when news broke that Alec Baldwin had shot and fatally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while on set of latest movie.

Alec Baldwin has expressed his deep “shock and sadness” after he accidentally shot and killed his director of photography with an apparent real bullet while on the set of his latest movie.

The actor was acting in or rehearsing for the western Rust when he discharged what he thought was a prop firearm. The cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally struck and the director Joel Souza was wounded, Santa Fe sheriff’s office said.

Despite attempts to save her, Hutchins was pronounced dead after being flown by helicopter to the University of New Mexico hospital. Souza was being treated at Christus St Vincent regional medical centre, where he was brought by ambulance.

He tweeted that he was in touch with her husband and had offered support.

"My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna," he wrote.

"There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours," he tweeted.

"I'm fully co-operating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred."