Alec Baldwin has been left "hysterical and absolutely inconsolable" after accidentally discharging a prop gun that killed a cinematographer on the set of Western movie Rust.
A source told People that the 30 Rock star "is canceling other projects" and taking "some time to himself [to] re-center himself" following the ordeal.
The deadly incident took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last Thursday. Halyna Hutchins, 42, died shortly after being shot, and director Joel Souza was left injured.
"This was pretty devastating," the source said. "This is how [Baldwin] handles difficult times. Whenever something bad happens, in the short term, he removes himself from [the] public eye."
The source also told the magazine that Baldwin was "hysterical and absolutely inconsolable for hours" after the accidental shooting, adding: "Everyone knows this was an accident, but he's absolutely devastated."
In a press release by the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department, it was revealed that after 911 calls were made - alerting authorities to the on-set shooting - law enforcement responded to the incident at around 1:50 PM local time.
Baldwin, 63, had been rehearsing a scene that involved pointing a gun at the camera when he fired the gun that killed the married mother-of-one, the wounded director has since revealed.
Hutchins was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, according to the sheriff's department. Souza was rushed to hospital at the time, but his team has since confirmed to Deadline that he has been discharged.
"[Baldwin] is someone who really deeply cares, so he can be very hard on himself," the source shared. "That's true in general, in situations nowhere near as serious as this. But in this situation, it's a whole other level because of the loss of life involved."
"It's going to take him time to figure all this out," the insider shared. "He needs to take a while to himself, to be with his family."
Thus far, authorities have not filed any charges, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Shortly after the shooting, a source had revealed to People that "Alec is still trying to get his head around everything that happened. This has been devastating. It's been incredibly difficult."
