An incident involving a firearm on the set of the upcoming film "Rust" has left the director of photography dead and the director injured. Star Alec Baldwin discharged the prop gun while filming a scene on Thursday, authorities say.
A helicopter transported cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. The director, 42-year-old Joel Souza, was transported via ambulance to Christus St. Vincent’s hospital and is receiving emergency treatment for his injuries.
"According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged," a release from the sheriff's office said. "Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged."
Deputies responded to a 911 call Thursday afternoon that someone had been shot on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set of "Rust," according to the sheriff's office.
The incident is still under active investigation and no charges have been filed, the sheriff's office said. Detectives are continuing to interview witnesses.
"Rust" stars Baldwin, who also serves as a producer on the film.
A spokesperson for Baldwin told The Associated Press said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks.
USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Baldwin for comment.
Hutchins previously served as director of cinematography for 2020's "Archenemy," starring Joe Manganiello. Souza last directed 2019's "Crown Vic," a feature starring Bridget Moynahan that was also produced by Baldwin.
The movie “Rust” is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to IMDb.com. The teen goes on the run with his long estranged grandfather after he’s sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.
Prop guns have been previously implicated in deaths on entertainment productions.
In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the martial-arts star Bruce Lee, was accidentally shot to death with a prop gun while filming the movie "The Crow.″ The gun was intended to have fired a blank, but an autopsy found a bullet lodged near his spine.
In 1984, Jon-Erik Hexum, 26, died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette on the set of the TV series ″Cover Up.″
Contributing: The Associated Press
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