'Rust' producers pause film production as investigation into fatal prop gun misfire continues

The producers of the movie "Rust" told crew members that they are pausing production on the Western indefinitely while investigators look into last week's prop gun misfire incident involving Alec Baldwin that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead and director Joel Souza hospitalized.

In a letter to the crew sent Sunday, the production team offered their support for Hutchins' family and for crew members who have been devastated by the Oct. 21 incident on the New Mexico set.

They are making a donation to the Halyna Hutchins Scholarship Fund established by Halyna’s family and matching any donations by the crew, according to the letter.

In the meantime, the producers said they are wrapping production on the film until the investigation into the incident is complete, and that they are cooperating with the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office.

"Although our hearts are broken, and it is hard to see beyond the horizon, this is, at the moment, a pause rather than an end. The spirit that brought us all to this special place remains," they wrote.

Crew members arrived on the set throughout the day Monday to pick up belongings and other gear.

The incident occurred when an assistant director handed the prop gun -- one of three on hand -- to Baldwin, and said, "Cold gun," to let the crew know that a gun with no live rounds was being handled, according to a search warrant from Santa Fe County obtained by ABC News.

Baldwin then fired, hitting Hutchins and Souza. Both victims were transported to hospitals and Hutchins died later that evening.

Souza survived and the producers said the director is recuperating.

"We are supporting him however we can knowing just how difficult his journey is," they wrote in the letter.

The assistant director who handed the prop gun to Baldwin told investigators that he didn't know there were rounds in the gun, according to the warrant.

Baldwin released a statement Friday expressing his condolences for Hutchins and her family, and said he was cooperating with the investigation.

Crew members on the film's New Mexico set had previously raised safety concerns, ABC News has learned.

Gun safety concerns had been "brushed off" by the film's producers, a camera crew member told ABC News after the incident.

In a statement released last week, Rust Movie Productions LLC said it was not aware of prop safety complaints. The producers told the crew they are "conducting an internal review of safety protocols," but declined to comment on any reports about the set that have appeared in the media since the shooting.

"As with any ongoing investigation, we are limited in our ability to say anything further publicly or privately, and ask for your patience in that regards," they wrote.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's office and Santa Fe District Attorney's office are slated to offer an update on the investigation Wednesday.