- A prop gun discharged by Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie "Rust" killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Thursday.
- What is a prop gun? The term can refer to fake guns but also real weapons that are being used as props
- On set, property masters or armorers typically train actors in the safe use of any firearm they must handle.
On Thursday, an incident involving a prop gun discharged by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie "Rust" killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
The incident is not the first such tragedy involving a prop gun. Previously, Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee's son, died at 28 after a fatal shooting involving a prop gun. Similarly, in 1984 actor Jon-Erik Hexum died from a self-inflicted gunshot involving a firearm with blanks.
Many of the details regarding the shooting on set of "Rust" have yet to come to light. The incident is currently under investigation, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
"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."
USA TODAY obtained an email sent to members of IATSE Local 44, a union of prop makers and other craft persons who work within the entertainment industry, about the incident. The message said the prop gun from the "Rust" set was loaded with "a live single round" and that no Local 44 members were on set.
Previously, 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.
What is a prop gun?
Those less familiar with the lingo used in Hollywood may not have previously heard of prop guns. A prop gun or prop firearm can mean several different things. The term can refer to fake guns but also real weapons that are being used as props.
- According to Yale's undergraduate production program, the term prop gun can be used to describe non-firing, rubber and toy guns. (The program site adds that prop weapons can be "capable of inflicting actual bodily harm" and need a to be handled with a level of safety protocol.)
- Prop guns can also refer to functional firearms that discharge blank ammunition, according to Sonoma State University's theatre arts department. These can produce a noise and can also pose a fire hazard, the site states.
How can a prop gun kill someone?
Functional firearms can be deadly, even when using blanks.
Such was the case with Hexum's accidental, self-inflicted blank cartridge gunshot to the head on the set of "Cover Up."
In an article for "The Conversation," filmmakers Christopher Gist and Sarah Mayberry explained how Hexum's death occurred.
"Instead of using a bullet, blanks use wads of paper, plastic, felt or cotton – this wadding ensures you get a certain level of flame out of the gun," they wrote.
"The force of the wadding was enough to fatally injure him.
The Actors' Equity Association has called blanks "extremely dangerous."
"Even though they do not fire bullets out of the gun barrel, they still have a powerful blast than can maim or kill."
On RJR Props and Set Dressing Services' website, a company that rents prop guns for use in film, television and video, it clearly states that their blank-firing guns are "dangerous and require a license or a registered armorer."
'No one should ever be killed' by prop gun:Alec Baldwin mishap surfaces Brandon Lee death
How could this happen?
According to the Actors' Equity Association, those handling props should "treat all guns as if they are loaded and deadly."
The group says to never point a firearm at anyone.
On set, the property master or armorer should train actors in the safe use of any firearm they must handle.
Kevin Williams, the prop department supervisor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, told NPR the Baldwin incident seems to be "one of these freak accidents."
"It is an extremely rare circumstance that anything like this happens. Especially nowadays when there are so many different procedures and policies in place," he said.
Why are guns used on sets?
When making a movie, Gist and Mayberry explained choices in props are made to best match the characters and scene.
For a recent project they worked on, the team chose to film with real weapons but only used blanks in one scene. In every other scene, visual effects (VFX) will be added in.
"The blanks were chosen because of the importance of the weapon to the storytelling in that scene," they wrote, but they added "many gun effects can be done well through VFX."
Following the Baldwin incident, a Change.org petition was created titled "Hollywood: It’s time to ban the use of real firearms on film sets!"
The petition's description states: "We need to make sure this never happens again. There is no excuse for something like this to happen in the 21st century. Real guns are no longer needed on film production sets."
According to a press release, the petition was created by Bandar Albuliwi, a young director who graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory, the same school Hutchins attended.
Other prop gun accidents: Jon-Erik Hexum, Brandon Lee
In addition to Hexum's 1984 death by blank firearm shooting and Bruce Lee's son's fatal shooting involving a prop gun, there have been other on-set accidents that have been the result of explosives and other stage weapons.
In 1982, three actors were killed and six helicopter passengers were injured on the set of "Twilight Zone" after special effects explosions caused a helicopter to crash.
Two of the actors that died were children.
The incident was responsible for new procedures and safety standards in the filmmaking industry after sparking years of civil and criminal action over what had happened.
Though not deadly, Al Pacino accidentally burned his hand by holding the barrel of a gun that had been fired during production for 1983's "Scarface."
And Linda Hamilton suffered permanent hearing damage in one ear during filming of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" in 1991 when she fired a gun inside an elevator without ear plugs.
More:Alec Baldwin discharged prop gun in incident that killed cinematographer, injured director
More:Prop gun death at Alec Baldwin film 'Rust' isn't the first accident on a movie set
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