News Alec Baldwin shoots prop gun, killing 1, injuring another on set of 'Rust,' officials say (1 Viewer)

[Tickita]

Producer and actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun Thursday that killed one crew member and injured another on the set of the movie “Rust” in New Mexico, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said.

The film's director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed, and director Joel Souza, 48, was injured when Baldwin, 63, discharged the stage firearm, the agency said in a statement Thursday evening.

Hutchins' was flown by helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff's office.

Agents for Hutchins said in a statement on Friday that the cinematographer was a rising star of the craft who was relentlessly cheerful and optimistic.

“Halyna Hutchins was a ray of light. Always smiling, always hopeful," according to the statement. "She decided early on she would take the craft of cinematography by storm and the last couple of years proved she was well on her way. Her talent was immense, only surpassed by the love she had for her family. All those in her orbit knew what was coming; a star director of photography, who would be a force to be reckoned with."

Souza was taken to the hospital by ambulance, officials said.

Frances Fisher, who stars in the movie, tweeted overnight that Souza was out of the hospital. His spokesperson confirmed the news Friday in an email to NBC News.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in tears. Images obtained by NBC News showed Baldwin in a parking lot outside the sheriff's office. In one photo, the actor is seen bending over by the curbside, and in another speaking on the phone.

In his first comments about the prop gun shooting, Baldwin on Friday said he was in contact with Hutchins' family.

"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," Baldwin tweeted.

He added: "I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."

No charges have been filed, the sheriff's office said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Sheriff's deputies were dispatched around 1:50 p.m. local time (3:50 p.m. ET) after a 911 call about a shooting on the set, the office said.

“A live single round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor, hitting both the Director of Photography, Local 600 member Halyna Hutchins, and Director Joel Souza,” the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 44 said in an email to its members.

Local 44 Secretary-Treasurer Anthony Pawluc characterized the tragedy as “an accidental weapons discharge" and noted that its members were not involved.

“Local 44 has confirmed that the Props, Set Decoration, Special Effects and Construction Departments were staffed by New Mexico crew members,” Pawluc said in a statement. “There were no Local 44 members on the call sheet. On behalf of Local 44’s Officers, Executive Board and Staff, our thoughts and prayers go out to Halyna and her family. We also send good thoughts to Joel and his family for a full recovery.”

Bonanza Creek Ranch is often used for Western productions, including the recent Tom Hanks Western "News of the World." Aerial video from NBC affiliate KOB of Albuquerque showed an old church that appeared to be blocked off.

On Oct. 6, the New Mexico Film Office announced that "Rust" was filming and would be in production until early November in Santa Fe. The production would employ approximately 75 New Mexico crew members, 22 principal actors and 230 "background talent."

The film centers on a 13-year-old boy who goes on the run with his estranged grandfather after he is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a rancher in the 1880s, according to the movie's logline.

Hutchins was originally from Ukraine, and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines, according to her website. Before graduating from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, she studied journalism in Ukraine and worked as an investigative journalist with British documentary productions in Europe.

On her Instagram account she describes herself as a "restless dreamer" and an "adrenaline junkie." Recent posts included a group shot of the cast and crew on set of "Rust" in New Mexico. Another post showed a video of Hutchins riding a horse, along with the caption: "One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off."

Hutchins worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film “Archenemy,” starring Joe Manganiello.

“I’m so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set,” said “Archenemy” director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. “She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film.”

"I was lucky to have known her and to have worked with her," he said.

More on NBC News

 

[RandAlThor]

What the hell was he doing shooting / pointing at non actors?
Is he just that poor at his job?

Let alone what prop staff uses real bullets?

Ever since the Crow when a blank round pushed a dummy bullet head into Brandon Lee they changed the rules.

 

[LeeHoseok]

What the hell was he doing shooting / pointing at non actors?
Is he just that poor at his job?

Let alone what prop staff uses real bullets?

Ever since the Crow when a blank round pushed a dummy bullet head into Brandon Lee they changed the rules.

The people he ended up hitting indicate he was filming a scene in which his character fires towards the camera, as the Director & DP would be in that area. Therefore the script likely called for a front-on shot, and he was doing his job as instructed. Usually there are supposed to be items in place to negate any risk, we don't yet know if that was the case here. As far as it has been reported, the Assistant Director gave Mr. Baldwin the gun and shouted, 'Cold gun!', indicating that it did not contain any live rounds (blanks are considered live rounds) so Mr. Baldwin believed the gun to be safe. The investigation will likely focus on why the Assistant Director declared the gun cold without verifying that fact first.

As for what prop staff uses real bullets, no good one would even have them on set. However the union that represents prop masters said none of their members were on set, meaning they hired locally out of New Mexico. There are now reports coming out that the union crew originally working on the film walked out that very morning over safety concerns, and the prop master in charge of the weapon was a last-minute replacement hire.

To your last point, no, they did not change the rules after Brandon Lee's death, as a matter of fact, that tends to remain a point of contention. The same rules remain in place, the issue is usually down to human error - specifically humans not following the rules. There are supposed to be safeguards against accidents like this, but it's likely that they, like many productions past, cut corners. If the story of the union crew quitting over safety concerns is true, this just shows that rules only work when they're followed, and until there start being real consequences for on-set negligence, injury, and death, there will be no safety.

 

[LeeHoseok]

In case that is behind a paywall, you can also go here.

Set was cutting corners and budget, unsafe, had previous discharges of a supposedly "cold" gun, the union crew walked off in protest of those safety issues, prop master was 24 with only one previous film under her belt, just a whole ton of incompetence and now a woman is dead.

 

[RandAlThor]

The people he ended up hitting indicate he was filming a scene in which his character fires towards the camera, as the Director & DP would be in that area. Therefore the script likely called for a front-on shot, and he was doing his job as instructed. Usually there are supposed to be items in place to negate any risk, we don't yet know if that was the case here. As far as it has been reported, the Assistant Director gave Mr. Baldwin the gun and shouted, 'Cold gun!', indicating that it did not contain any live rounds (blanks are considered live rounds) so Mr. Baldwin believed the gun to be safe. The investigation will likely focus on why the Assistant Director declared the gun cold without verifying that fact first.

As for what prop staff uses real bullets, no good one would even have them on set. However the union that represents prop masters said none of their members were on set, meaning they hired locally out of New Mexico. There are now reports coming out that the union crew originally working on the film walked out that very morning over safety concerns, and the prop master in charge of the weapon was a last-minute replacement hire.

To your last point, no, they did not change the rules after Brandon Lee's death, as a matter of fact, that tends to remain a point of contention. The same rules remain in place, the issue is usually down to human error - specifically humans not following the rules. There are supposed to be safeguards against accidents like this, but it's likely that they, like many productions past, cut corners. If the story of the union crew quitting over safety concerns is true, this just shows that rules only work when they're followed, and until there start being real consequences for on-set negligence, injury, and death, there will be no safety.

sweet thanks!
That now makes much more sense.
I was honestly confused, and totally forgot about action that is camera facing only.

and i thought they had after Brandon i guess that was just another case of there are rules but if they are not followed another rule saying to follow the rule is redundant and no help.

Nevertheless i wish people treated weapons with more respect. check the knife /sword/ gun yourself, and know enough to do so competently.

Yep gotta be a cost for screwing up this much, and not just one gofer taking the fall.

 

[RandAlThor]

In case that is behind a paywall, you can also go here.

Set was cutting corners and budget, unsafe, had previous discharges of a supposedly "cold" gun, the union crew walked off in protest of those safety issues, prop master was 24 with only one previous film under her belt, just a whole ton of incompetence and now a woman is dead.

he is producing right?

 

[LeeHoseok]

sweet thanks!
That now makes much more sense.
I was honestly confused, and totally forgot about action that is camera facing only.

and i thought they had after Brandon i guess that was just another case of there are rules but if they are not followed another rule saying to follow the rule is redundant and no help.

Nevertheless i wish people treated weapons with more respect. check the knife /sword/ gun yourself, and know enough to do so competently.

Yep gotta be a cost for screwing up this much, and not just one gofer taking the fall.

Unfortunately some directors still seem to think firing blanks is better than just using VFX despite it being safer, all because they prefer realism.

he is producing right?

He's one of six producers, he and Director Joel Souza, the guy who was hit and survived, created the story together.

 

[LeeHoseok]

This thread is just....If all of this is true then someone seriously needs to be held accountable for leaving a loaded weapon unattended on a cart. Holy crap.

 

[RandAlThor]

This thread is just....If all of this is true then someone seriously needs to be held accountable for leaving a loaded weapon unattended on a cart. Holy crap.

i read they were shooting live rounds earlier in the day on set..... for practice..
Like WTH.

It looks like a massive CF a 24 year old master armorer?

Industry folks are piling on.

 

[raymondchouku]

Ever since the Crow when a blank round pushed a dummy bullet head into Brandon Lee they changed the rules.

A small digression, but... have you heard about the Lee family curse?

 

[RandAlThor]

A small digression, but... have you heard about the Lee family curse?

yep read all that at the time.

 

[raymondchouku]

yep read all that at the time.

compelling stuff.. Especially when you hear it from Robert Stack.