“Like a whip” – director describes fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin film set

Alec Baldwin was said to be "hysterical and absolutely inconsolable for hours" after the incident.

Joel Souza, the film director who was injured by actor Alec Baldwin during the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has recalled the incident, describing how it happened. In an affidavit released on Sunday (October 24), Souza described how Baldwin was practicing drawing a revolver across his chest and pointing it at the camera while on set for his latest project Rust. The actor was rehearsing a scene in which he was due to draw a gun while sitting in a church pew. He had apparently been handed the weapon by assistant director David Halls, who told him it was "cold" – meaning unloaded. Souza describes the gun going off as "like a whip" and a "loud pop", with Hutchins then complaining about a pain in her stomach before falling to the ground and saying she could not feel her legs. The affidavit reads: "Joel stated that they had Alec sitting in a pew in a church building setting, and he was practicing a cross draw. Joel said he was looking over the shoulder of (Hutchins), when he heard what sounded like a whip and then loud pop. "Joel then vaguely remembers (Hutchins) complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection. "Joel also said (Hutchins) began to stumble backwards and she was assisted to the ground." Baldwin was said to be "hysterical and absolutely inconsolable for hours". The Daily Mail reports that the court document reveals it had been a tumultuous day of filming on the set of the film, with a number of members of the camera crew walking off the production in a dispute over payment and lodging. Over the weekend, mourners held a vigil in memory of Hutchins, holding candles as they watched a slideshow of the cinematographer. On Saturday, the International Cinematographers Guild also held a candlelight vigil for the 42-year-old in Albuquerque.