'That was no good': Haunting last moments of Halyna Hutchins on 'Rust' set
"No, that was no good. That was no good at all." It is believed those were the last words of Halyna Hutchins to the cast and crew of 'Rust' before she was airlifted to a nearby hospital where she died. The details are just one of the many that have come forward in recent days as investigators piece together what exactly happened on the New Mexico set of the film. There's still a lot we don't know, but eyewitnesses have been able to recount the final moments of Hutchins' life.
The tragic shooting has left the crew broken, but perhaps none has badly as star Alec Baldwin. After a memorial for Hutchins in Santa Fe, Baldwin has disappeared from the public eye to "reset" himself. So far, investigations have revealed two key facts - the gun was not "cold", and that live ammunition was kept on set, and used by the crew for recreational shooting. As for who exactly to blame, that list is long and still a work in progress.
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The death of Hutchins has cast a huge shadow over Hollywood, with calls for gun safety reforms being made loud and clear. But, it all appears to be too little, too late. Carelessness cost the life of Hutchins and nearly took the life of director Joel Souza. Now, we know what exactly happened in those fateful final moments and Baldwin's reaction to the shooting thanks to a detailed Los Angeles Times report.
What happened in Halyna Hutchins' final moments?
October 21, 2021, was supposed to be like any other day for the crew of 'Rust'. They were shooting at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, getting ready to film a scene at a wooden church on the set. Baldwin was handed a "cold" gun by assistant director Dave Halls and then he met with Hutchins and Souza to line up the shot. "So", he had said, placing his hand on the Colt .45 revolver in its holster, "I guess I’m gonna take this out, pull it, and go, 'Bang!'" he said.
With that bang, a bullet flew out of the gun and hit Hutchins in the stomach. She stumbled back and fell into the arms of the electrician on set Serge Svetnoy. Behind Svetnoy, Souza had also fallen down, clutching his shoulder. "What the f--k was that? That burns," Souza reportedly screamed. Baldwin put the gun down on a pew and asked, "What the f--k just happened?" As crew members rushed to Hutchins' side, someone screamed "medic!"
As Hutchins lay in the arms of Svetnoy, a boom operator locked eyes with her and said, "Oh, that was no good." In response, Hutchins said, "No. That was no good. That was no good at all." These have been reportedly cited as her last but it's unclear what followed, one person described it as "crazy". Script supervisor Mamie Mitchell ran outside to call 911 and within hours Hutchins was being airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, but it was too late. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Such accidents are rare on film sets, with Hollywood setting exceptionally high standards. But for some reason, they didn't apply to 'Rust'. There was no medic on set, and safety concerns rattled everyone from the crew to even the leading man - Baldwin. There were three "accidental discharges" before Hutchins was shot, but the producers didn't act. So perhaps Hutchins' death was destined to happen. It's perhaps apt Baldwin called it "a one in a trillion episode" when he was tracked down by a reporter to Vermont.