Who Was Halyna Hutchins? Tributes Roll In For Cinematographer Killed By Prop Gun

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Tributes are pouring in for cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who is being remembered as a rising star in the film industry.

Hutchins, who leaves behind her husband and son, was struck by a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin on Thursday on the set of "Rust" in New Mexico.

Hutchins, who lived in L.A., once studied at the American Film Institute and is a 2015 graduate.

In her last Instagram post this week, Hutchins showed herself riding a horse and enjoying a break from work.

"That's exactly her spirit. She was a cheerleader of everybody who was around her and she always had that energy," said friend Gustavo Sampaio.

Sampaio worked on a short film with Hutchins in 2017.

"In the male-dominated industry career path, she really shined. Her work was absolutely brilliant. She was someone who was very easy to work with because she was calm on set, which is actually kind of difficult to find with a cinematographer."

The 42-year-old got into the film industry after a career in journalism in Ukraine.

"She had a great sense of humor, but she was just very kind. That's the main word I think of when I think of Halyna," Sampaio said.

Others have echoed similar sentiments about Halyna's character.

"I think the word 'incredible' is not enough to even describe her personality," said cinematographer Andriy Semenyuk. "Really generous, really talented, really upbeat."

Actor Joe Manganiello weighed in, too, expressing shock that such a tragedy could happen.

In:
• Alec Baldwin
• KCAL 9
• Halyna Hutchins