TRIBUTES HAVE POURED in for Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who died after being shot by a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin on a film set in the United States.

Officials in Santa Fe, New Mexico, said Hutchins — director of photography for the movie Rust — and director Joel Souza were shot in the incident last night.

The 42-year-old cinematographer was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, authorities said.

Souza was also rushed to hospital with injuries but has since been released. 

In a statement on Twitter this evening, Baldwin said: “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.

I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family.

“My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

Earlier today, Irish casting director Barry Coyle told RTÉ’s the News at One that Hutchins had worked in Dublin last year on an untitled Screen Actors Guild feature film.

“Halyna was really taken by the everyday street scenes she found around the city — the old churches and stained glass works of Harry Clarke,” he said.

She had a real, genuine interest in Irish life and the people here and was so happy to be working in Ireland, especially considering the global industry had more or less closed at the time.

Hollywood figures have paid tribute to Hutchins on social media in the hours after the news broke.

The family of actor Brandon Lee — who was killed in a similar incident on the set of the 1994 film The Crow —  tweeted their condolences to Hutchins’ family.

“No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period,” the Lee family said. 

“My greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets,” tweeted Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn.

“My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family.”

My greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets. I pray this will never happen. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 22, 2021

American actor Joe Manganiello, who previously worked with Hutchins, tweeted, “I’m in shock. I was so lucky to have had Halyna Hutchins as my DP (director of photography) on Archenemy.

“An incredible talent & great person. I can’t believe this could happen in this day and age… gunfire from a prop gun could kill a crew member? What a horrible tragedy. My heart goes out to her family.”

Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood tweeted, “Absolutely horrifying and devastating news about cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. My heart goes out to her family.”