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'Rust' star Jensen Ackles pays emotional tribute to Halyna Hutchins: 'She was an inspiration'

"Rust" star Jensen Ackles weighed in on the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with an emotional Instagram post Sunday.

Filmmaker Hutchins, 42, died from injuries after a prop gun was discharged on the Western's New Mexico set on Oct. 21, an incident which Ackles called "a tragedy of epic proportions" in the post.

"She was an inspiration," Ackles wrote in the past below a gallery of photos. The actor detailed a conversation he had with Hutchins days before she was killed.

"Earlier last week I felt compelled to tell Halyna just how awesome I thought she was," Ackles wrote. "I told her how incredible I thought her camera shots were and just how exciting it was to watch her and her team work. Truly. She laughed and said thank you and gave me a hug. I'll forever be thankful we had that moment."

The actor sent prayers to Halyna's husband Matt Hutchins and the couple's 9-year-old son. "There are just not enough words to express what an immense loss this is," Ackles wrote. "She will be incredibly missed by all of us who knew and admired her."

'Rust' crew: Walked off set to protest working conditions hours before cinematographer death: Reports

Matt Hutchins posted a photo of his late wife on Twitter with their son asking for privacy, saying, "Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words. Our loss is enormous."

On Friday, court records released stated an assistant director unwittingly handed "Rust" star Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot Hutchins on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set.

Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind the cinematographer, was wounded, the records said.

The Associated Press wrote on Sunday that Baldwin, who is a producer on “Rust,” met Saturday with Matt Hutchins and the couple's 9-year-old son at a hotel in Santa Fe where the actor had been staying during filming.

Ackles wrote in his Instagram post that he and his wife, Danneel Ackles, have donated to the AFI memorial scholarship fund set up in Hutchins’ name, as well as to the GoFundMe campaign set up by ICG Local 600 to support Halyna’s family.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Rust' star Jensen Ackles pays emotional tribute to Halyna Hutchins