Cinematographer killed, director injured after prop gun misfire on set of Alec Baldwin film 'Rust'
Prop gun was fired by Alec Baldwin, sheriff says; director of photography Halyna Hutchins killed, director Joel Souza injured
SANTA FE, New Mexico -- A woman has died and another crew member was injured in an accident involving a prop gun that misfired on the set of an Alec Baldwin Western being filmed in Santa Fe according to a producer of the film.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff said deputies responded to the set of the film "Rust," starring Alec Baldwin and Jensen Ackles, at around 1:15 p.m. MST, which was filming at Bonanza Creek Ranch. It was reported someone had been shot on set.
The sheriff's office confirmed two people were shot during the filming of a scene. The sheriff's office said the prop gun was fired by Baldwin, who is both producer and actor in the film.
Investigators are still determining what kind of projectile was fired. No charges have been filed and witnesses are being interviewed. The investigation is ongoing.
Director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital in critical condition where she died, the sheriff's office said. Director Joel Souza, 48, was taken to Christus St. Vincent hospital in unknown condition, where he is being treated.
Bonanza Creek Ranch has been used for a number of Westerns in the past, including "3:10 to Yuma" and "Cowboys & Aliens."
The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate
"There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks," a producer said in a statement to ABC News. ".... Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority."
Local authorities placed yellow crime-scene tape around what appears to be an old church on the set.
Earlier in the day Thursday, Baldwin posted a photo to Instagram from the set.
While film and movie shoots generally have extensive safety rules in place, there have been several instances of serious or fatal accidents on sets involving prop firearms.
Actor Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was killed during the filming of "The Crow" in 1993 when he was shot with an improperly loaded prop gun.
Actor Jon-Erik Hexum died in 1984 when he was playing around with a prop gun on a TV set and fired it at his head, unaware that blanks can be dangerous at close range.
