Alec Baldwin Accidentally Kills Cinematographer, Injures Director After He Discharged Prop Gun on New Mexico Movie Set

A film crew member has died, and a director was injured after Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on the set of the Western feature film in New Mexico on Thursday.

According to Deadline, the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department confirmed Thursday night that the 63-year-old actor discharged the prop gun that killed "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on the set in New Mexico.

Alec Baldwin Fatally Shoots Cinematographer, Injures Director After Prop Gun Misfire

Police said sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe at around 13:50 local time after receiving an emergency call about the accidental shooting on the set.

The Sheriff's Office said Alec Baldwin discharged the weapon during filming for the 19th Century western, "Rust." BBC reported that the 42-year-old director of photography was taken to the hospital after the misfiring incident, but she later died due to her injuries. The film's 48-year-old director is currently recovering after receiving emergency care.

A spokesman for the actor said the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks.

A Santa Fe sheriff spokesman told AFP that Alec Baldwin had already spoken to detectives. The spokesman noted that the actor came in voluntarily and left the building after he finished his interviews.

In a statement, the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department said they were still investigating the incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch, an area considered in the film industry as a popular filming location.

The police department noted that detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. It added that no charges have yet been filed regarding the incident.

Halyna Hutchins: Victim of Prop Gun Misfire on New Mexico Set

Halyna Hutchins was from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, based on her website. The cinematographer studied journalism in Kyiv and studied film in Los Angeles.

The late cinematographer was named as one of the rising stars in her chosen field by the American Cinematographer magazine in 2019. Hutchins was the director of photography for the 2020 action film "Archenemy." Adam Egypt Mortimer directed the film.

In his social media account, Mortimer said he was so sad after hearing the news about Hutchins. The director further noted that he's "so infuriated" that it could happen on a set.

The International Cinematographer's Guild said Hutchins' death was devastating news and a terrible loss in the film industry.

The guild president, John Lindley, and executive director Rebecca Rhine said that the details about the misfiring were still not clear, and they were still learning more about the incident. They also said that they were fully supporting the investigation conducted by authorities in the tragic event.

Alec Baldwin is a co-producer of the film and plays its namesake, an outlaw whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of killing.

In 1993, Brandon Lee died on set after he was also accidentally shot with a prop gun while filming the movie "The Crow." Lee, 28, is the son of the late martial-arts star, Bruce Lee.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Alec Baldwin Fired Prop Gun That Killed Photography Chief, Injured Director on Film Set - From ABC7