Alec Baldwin fired prop gun that killed crew member, injured director

ACTOR and producer Alec Baldwin shot two people on a film set in New Mexico on Thursday when discharging a prop firearm, officials said.

One person died and another was injured, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office confirmed.

The sheriff's office received a 911 call reporting a shooting on the set of the Western film Rust, according to a news release. Halyna Hutchins, 42, director of photography, was pronounced dead at the University of New Mexico Hospital after being transported via helicopter.

Director Joel Souza, 48, was transported by ambulance to Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center, the officials said.

Rust actress Frances Fisher tweeted yesterday morning that Souza had been released from hospital.

The sheriff's office said in a news release that its investigation remained “open and active”.

“No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives,” the office said.

A representative for

Baldwin, 63, did not immediately respond to

The Washington Post’s request for comment.

The incident occurred at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular film location near Santa Fe. Baldwin discharged the prop firearm while in character, authorities said.

“We know they were either preparing to film a particular scene or in process of filming a scene, and that’s when Mr Baldwin discharged the firearm,” Juan Rios, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, told The Post.

Detectives were investigating how many prop firearms were on the set, how they were handled and what projectiles were discharged, Rios said.

He said the sheriff's office would have more information on the incident early next week.

Rust was set to film on the location in October and November.

The movie follows a 13-year-old boy and his younger brother in 1880s Kansas who are left to care for themselves following their parents’ deaths.

The boys go on the run with their estranged grandfather, played by Baldwin, after the 13-year-old is sentenced to death for accidentally killing a local rancher.

In addition to directing the film, Souza also penned the script based on a story he wrote with Baldwin, according to Variety.

Souza is the writer and director of the 2019 action thriller Crown Vic.

Hutchins chronicled her experience on set over the past week on her Instagram account. The cinematographer posted images of the ranch’s sweeping terrain and vibrant sunsets.

She also included an image of the cast and crew and a video of her on horseback.

“One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off,” she wrote, followed by a smiley face.

Hutchins, born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, received a degree in international journalism from Kyiv National University and worked as an investigative journalist, according to her website.

She eventually started producing narrative features and in 2015, graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory. In 2019, Hutchins was named one of American Cinematographer magazine’s Rising Stars.

Baldwin posted on Instagram on Thursday, before the fatal shooting, an image of himself in costume with what looked like a fake wound on his stomach.

“Back to in person at the office. Blimey ... it’s exhausting,” wrote the actor, who is also producing Rust. The image was deleted early yesterday.

The Emmy Award-winning actor has had a prolific career in film and television. Some of his well-known movies include The Departed, The Hunt for Red October, It’s Complicated and Working Girl.

He also starred in Tina Fey’s NBC TV series 30 Rock and Peacock’s Dr Death, and he impersonated Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.

Other prop gun incidents have resulted in deaths on movie sets. In 1993, actor Brandon Lee, 28, son of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee, died after actor Michael Massee shot him with a prop gun. | The Washington Post