Alec Baldwin Fired A Prop Gun That Killed Someone In A Horrible Movie Set Incident
The gun was supposed to have blanks in it.
A cinematographer was shot dead on the set of a movie starring Alec Baldwin on Thursday, in an apparent accident involving a prop gun that wasn't supposed to be loaded.
Police say Baldwin fired the gun himself and that two people were shot while filming a Western called Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, died of her injuries while director Joel Souza, 48, was rushed to hospital for treatment, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
Baldwin's spokesperson told the Associated Press that it was a misfire and that the gun was loaded with blanks.
Investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what was in the gun when the shooting happened. No one has been arrested or charged at this point.
Police say Baldwin voluntarily spoke to them after the incident, and the Santa Fe New Mexican reports that he was seen crying outside the sheriff's office later that day.
The incident immediately reminded many people of Brandon Lee, the actor and son of Bruce Lee who was shot dead while filming The Crow in 1993. The gun in that case wasn't supposed to be loaded.
Lee's sister Shannon, who runs his official Twitter account, offered her condolences after the shooting.
"No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period," she wrote.
Hutchins called herself a "restless dreamer" and an "adrenaline junkie" on her Instagram page, and she recently shared several posts from the set of Rust.
One reposted photo on her page shows the entire cast, including Baldwin.
Filming on Rust has been suspended and the investigation is ongoing.