Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin's prop gun misfires, kills cinematographer on film set, injures director

The event occurred on the set of "Rust" in the southwestern US state of Texas, where Baldwin is starring in a 19th-century western.

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Texas, First Published Oct 22, 2021, 12:24 PM IST | Last Updated Oct 22, 2021, 3:32 PM IST

On a film set in New Mexico, US actor Alec Baldwin shot a fake pistol, killing a cameraman and injuring the director, according to US law enforcement officials. The event occurred on the set of "Rust" in the southwestern US state of Texas, where Baldwin is starring in a 19th-century western. In a statement, the sheriff in Santa Fe claimed that Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza "were shot when Alec Baldwin discharged a prop pistol." Hutchins, 42, was flown to the hospital by helicopter but died from her injuries, whilst Souza, 48, was evacuated by ambulance and is being treated.

No charges have been filed for the event, which is being investigated, and witness interviews are still underway. According to a production spokeswoman, the "accident" entailed the misfire of a prop pistol loaded with blanks. According to a sheriff's spokeswoman, the director is in "critical condition." The event occurred at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a renowned filming location for Hollywood filmmakers near Santa Fe.

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Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, died on the set of "The Crow" after being shot with a pistol intended to shoot blanks. Baldwin co-produces and appears in the film as Harland Rust, an outlaw whose grandson is convicted of murder and flees with him when the child is condemned to death by hanging. The 63-year-old shared a photo on Instagram early Thursday of himself reportedly on set, dressed in a period costume and fake blood on his shirt.

Since the 1980s, Baldwin has been on television and in films. Baldwin has voiced animated characters in successes such as "The Boss Baby" and has starred in several high-profile films, including "The Hunt for Red October" and two incarnations of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. He gained new admirers for his long-running role as Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live," a figure that angered the former president but earned Baldwin a Primetime Emmy. "Rust" also stars Jensen Ackles and Travis Fimmel, best known for playing Ragnar Lothbrok in "Vikings".

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