Alec Baldwin Fatally shoots Woman with Prop Gun on Movie Set

Vince Evert

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A woman has died and a man has been injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a New Mexico film set.

Police in the US state said Mr Baldwin discharged the weapon during filming for the 19th Century western Rust.

The woman, Halyna Hutchins, was flown to hospital by helicopter but died of her injuries. The man, director Joel Souza, was receiving emergency care.

A spokesperson for Mr Baldwin told AP news agency the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks.

Ms Hutchins, 42, was working on the set as director of photography. Mr Souza, 48, was taken from the scene by ambulance, but details of his injuries have not been disclosed.

Police are still investigating the incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular filming location, and no charges have been filed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59005500

UPDATE

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alec Baldwin said Friday that the killing of a cinematographer who died after Baldwin fired a prop gun on a movie set was a “tragic accident,” as authorities investigated the shooting, which also wounded the director.

Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer on the Western “Rust,” and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday in the desert on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

A spokesperson for Baldwin said a prop gun with blanks misfired. A spokesman for the Santa Fe County sheriff said detectives were investigating what type of projectile was discharged and how. No immediate charges were filed.

It was not clear if Baldwin was performing at the time of the shooting or how many rounds were fired, and little was known about the weapon.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation,” Baldwin wrote on Twitter. “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

Sheriff’s spokesman Juan Rios said detectives were at the set Friday morning gathering evidence and information. Baldwin is permitted to travel, he said.

“He’s a free man,” Rios said.
 

Vince Evert

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Reminds me of an incident somewhere in 1984-85, there was a rising young actor Jon Erik Hexum who died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank, pretending to play Russian roulette.
 

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One that comes to mind most for me is Brandon Lee. Almost exact same thing happened to him. At the peak of his career with The Crow (1994) and then all over at the age of 28. Tragic.
 
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It looks like Alec Baldwin has taken to making snuff movies. How on earth did he end up firing live ammo on set?
 
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It looks like Alec Baldwin has taken to making snuff movies. How on earth did he end up firing live ammo on set?
I'm sort of glad you brought this up. Obviously, it's a big conversation in my industry. It's not clear if it was live ammo, but guns are guns, and the material that goes into blanks is still dangerous. What is astonishing is that they seemed to be ignoring gun safety, this many years after Brandon Lee was killed on the set of "The Crow." The camera crew was so concerned about "unsafe discharges of guns" on set that they walked off and were replaced by a new (non-union) crew just that day. I'm also astonished that, no matter how inexperienced the armorer (guns specialist) on the set may have been, that Alec Baldwin (also a producer on the film,) didn't understand gun safety practices on a set, at this stage in his career. You don't even point a fake gun at anyone. And we are told they didn't even have a safety meeting at the beginning of that day. We even do this on my stupid jobs when I just interview doctors. How do you not have a safety meeting when there is a gun on set?

 
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It seems he was handed the gun and told it was safe, so immediately he must have pointed it at someone and shot two people. I mean, it’s a horrible accident and I’m sure he’s destroyed, but I agree with @Moxie about safety since Brandon Lee. They can surely copy and paste the sound of gunshot into a film without using blanks. In fact, I think they will from now on…
 
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It seems he was handed the gun and told it was safe, so immediately he must have pointed it at someone and shot two people. I mean, it’s a horrible accident and I’m sure he’s destroyed, but I agree with @Moxie about safety since Brandon Lee. They can surely copy and paste the sound of gunshot into a film without using blanks. In fact, I think they will from now on…
There is a petition circulating to ban real guns on film sets, but I'm not sure if that will happen anytime soon. There is a lot that can be done with special effects, and maybe that will become the norm. It works in comic book movies, but in a straight dramatic film, there is a realism to a gun that shoots blanks. You get a muzzle flash and a recoil. But, hey, if actors can be taught in sword-fighting, they can be taught to replicate a recoil.

The film industry has long been able to self-regulate safety because it has been very conscious of safety, and generally has a good record. I am hugely in favor of independent film, but, with tight budgets and schedules, corners are cut and this is where bad things happen. On the heels of the near-strike by the big crafts union in the US over safe working conditions, (which mainly had to do with humane working hours,) and the high-profile of the actor involved, something will change after this. I'm not sure yet what, or how meaningful, it will be.
 

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I'm sort of glad you brought this up. Obviously, it's a big conversation in my industry. It's not clear if it was live ammo, but guns are guns, and the material that goes into blanks is still dangerous. What is astonishing is that they seemed to be ignoring gun safety, this many years after Brandon Lee was killed on the set of "The Crow." The camera crew was so concerned about "unsafe discharges of guns" on set that they walked off and were replaced by a new (non-union) crew just that day. I'm also astonished that, no matter how inexperienced the armorer (guns specialist) on the set may have been, that Alec Baldwin (also a producer on the film,) didn't understand gun safety practices on a set, at this stage in his career. You don't even point a fake gun at anyone. And we are told they didn't even have a safety meeting at the beginning of that day. We even do this on my stupid jobs when I just interview doctors. How do you not have a safety meeting when there is a gun on set?

I read today it possibly was live ammo - I guess we'll have to wait and see. It's crazy how that can happen on a film set.
 

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What is incredible is at the present with all the technology and so great special effects they are still using real weapons, it would be completely safe and harmless
 

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May I ask why was a young inexperienced woman put in charge of the fire arms on the film set to start with?
 

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May I ask why was a young inexperienced woman put in charge of the fire arms on the film set to start with?
There is no good answer to that question, except that the producers were being cheap and stupid. Her daddy is an experienced Hollywood armorer, but that doesn't make her one.
 

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There is no good answer to that question, except that the producers were being cheap and stupid. Her daddy is an experienced Hollywood armorer, but that doesn't make her one.
What is that saying ' you get what you pay for' though in this sad case it cost a life.
 

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What is that saying ' you get what you pay for' though in this sad case it cost a life.
We also say that you can have good/cheap/fast, but you have to pick two, because you can't get all 3. They were going for cheap and fast. Some of their union crew (camera dept.) had just walked out because of unsafe conditions and late pay. So there was a certain amount of chaos swirling, anyway. Normal safety protocols were not respected. @britbox says he has heard that there was live ammunition in the chamber. That alone would be shocking, though you can kill someone with a blank if there is any kind of projectile in the chamber. (That's how Brandon Lee died. It wasn't a bullet in the chamber, but a bullet cap was left in. Same situation, though...cheap indie film with too few experienced people on set. And everyone moving too fast.) The whole industry here is incensed and gobsmacked as how this could happen, but no amount of outrage will bring that talented young cinematographer back.
 
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We also say that you can have good/cheap/fast, but you have to pick two, because you can't get all 3. They were going for cheap and fast. Some of their union crew (camera dept.) had just walked out because of unsafe conditions and late pay. So there was a certain amount of chaos swirling, anyway. Normal safety protocols were not respected. @britbox says he has heard that there was live ammunition in the chamber. That alone would be shocking, though you can kill someone with a blank if there is any kind of projectile in the chamber. (That's how Brandon Lee died. It wasn't a bullet in the chamber, but a bullet cap was left in. Same situation, though...cheap indie film with too few experienced people on set. And everyone moving too fast.) The whole industry here is incensed and gobsmacked as how this could happen, but no amount of outrage will bring that talented young cinematographer back.
The latest is the gun earlier in the day was used by some of the personel for target shooting at during non filming locations.Yet it still doesn't explain why the weapon ( prop gun) wasn't secured and unloaded when it was introduced into live filming.
 

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The latest is the gun earlier in the day was used by some of the personel for target shooting at during non filming locations.Yet it still doesn't explain why the weapon ( prop gun) wasn't secured and unloaded when it was introduced into live filming.
I wonder where you heard this? I have to think it cannot possibly be true. That would never be allowed. But what they did was outside of protocol, so....
 
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A Petition to ban firearms on a films set has been started up. Let's hope the poor woman's tragic accidental death wasn't in vain and that some good will come out of it.


"There is no excuse for something like this to happen in the 21st century. Real guns are no longer needed on film production sets. This isn’t the early 90’s, when Brandon Lee was killed in the same manner. Change needs to happen before additional talented lives are lost."

by Bandar Albuliwi, filmmaker

 

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Vince Evert

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"Alec Baldwin Speaks on Death of Halyna Hutchins ... First Time on Camera ..."​


A few salient points:

A visibly distressed Baldwin is not allowed to discuss the tragedy at this time while there's an ongoing investigation.

Baldwin says he supports the banning of real guns/live ammo altogether, "while acknowledging he isn't a pro on that."

Baldwin is in regular contact with the deceased woman's husband and son.

Baldwin says his young children are being harassed.

 
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Vince Evert

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Based on the above TZN online article , what stands out are why was their at least one real gun complete with live bullets brought to the set and reportedly being used off the set?

Who made these decisions? There are a number of producers associated with the "Rust" production, including Baldwin.

And who made the decision (and why) to employ a young inexperienced female armorer?
 
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