Alec Baldwin fires prop gun on set of movie, killing a crew member and injuring director

The actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop firearm on a movie set Thursday, killing the film’s director of photography and injuring its director, police said

Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed and Joel Souza, 48, was injured on the set of “Rust,” a Western being filmed at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Sante Fe, New Mexico, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

Hutchins was transported via helicopter to University of New Mexico Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Souza was brought to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical center to undergo treatment for his injuries.

“We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called ‘Rust’ in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set,” said John Lindley, the president of the guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, in a statement to Variety. “The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”

The circumstances of the shooting are under investigation. No charges have been filed in regard to the incident.

“There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks,” a spokesperson for Baldwin said in a statement to NBC News. “Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority.”

Hutchins graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015 and worked on several short films before shooting “Archenemy,” a 2020 feature film starring Joe Manganiello.

Hutchins’ death echoes that of actor Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts movie legend Bruce Lee. Brandon Lee died from being shot by a round from a prop gun during filming for the movie “The Crow” in 1993.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.