Authorities in Sante Fe have released statements by Rust director Joel Souza and a cameraman which said the accidental shooting happened during a scene filmed inside a mock church. Mr Souza, 48, told investigators he was standing behind the camera next to Ms Hutchins when he heard a loud pop. He noticed both he and Ms Hutchins were bleeding, and she fell to the ground moments later. Meanwhile, the chief electrician on Rust, Serge Svetnoy, told how he held Ms Hutchins in his arms while she lay dying in an emotional tribute on Facebook. “I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during this fatal shot that took her life and injured the director Joel Souza,” Mr Svetnoy wrote. “I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands.”

He said the  the accidental shooting on the film set in New Mexico on Thursday was the “fault of negligence and unprofessionalism” by those responsible for ensuring gun safety on set. On Sunday, hundreds attended a vigil for cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On Friday, Mr Baldwin said in a statement: “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

An investigation into the shooting is continuing.