In a shocking, tragic incident on sets Hollywod Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun that accidently killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
The incident took place on the set of “Rust”, where Alec Baldwin is playing the lead in a 19th century western about an accidental killing.
Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza “were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin,” the sheriff in Santa Fe said in a statement.
Hutchins, 42, was transported to hospital by helicopter but died of her wounds, while Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance and was receiving treatment.
Alec Baldwin Fatal Shooting Incident, Where was the safety protocol?
He was later released from hospital, “Rust” actress Frances Fisher tweeted, citing a text from him.
“Mr. Alec Baldwin was interviewed by detectives,” Santa Fe sheriff spokesman Juan Rios
While Santa Fe Police said that no arrests have been made or charges filed, the incident remains an “open and active” investigation and production of Rust has since been halted indefinitely, Variety reported.
Hutchins’ passing is not the first time an individual has suffered a fatal accident on a film set due to a prop gun. Actor Brandon Lee, son of legendary Hong Kong American martial artist Bruce Lee, was fatally shot by actor Michael Massee with a prop gun during the filming of The Crow in 1993.
Alec Baldwin Shooting Incident Social Media Reaction
why did he point the gun at her? Was it in the script? And after shooting one person, why shoot at the second? Wouldn’t you notice by the first shot that it wasn’t a fake bullet? This what I don’t understand.
Similarly, in 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum fatally shot himself with a blank discharged from a .44 Magnum pistol, while jokingly playing with the pistol on set amid repeated delays in the filming of the television series Cover Up.
Such prop guns are also used on film sets in India. “Over the years, the company has grown to manufacture hundreds of rifles, dozens of AK-47s and pistols of every type imaginable. But when a pistol proves too difficult to make, ‘we import them from foreign gun manufacturers who make dummies for training and exhibition purposes.’, The Hindu quotes ‘Gun’ Naveen Raj, a firearms supplier for South Indian films, as saying.
“The single most important factor in the safety of your cast when firing a blank is sufficient distance. Distance is your friend,” he added.
While circumstances around Halyna Hutchins’ death remain unclear pending a complete investigation, Brandon Lee’s 1993 death was caused by not properly checking the prop gun, as a “metallic projectile” was discharged instead of the blank, The New York Times had reported.
Despite the possibility of such accidents, Brown discourages causing any kind of panic or alarm around the frequent use of prop guns on film sets.
“Safety is not about scaring people. It’s about treating firearms with respect, consistently checking every firearm on set, and working with the same quiet, calm professionalism as a good camera operator,” he writes.
Alec Baldwin said he was “exhausted” while filming movie Rust before he accidentally shot and killed a crew member