Alec Baldwin kills cinematographer, injures director after firing prop gun on movie set

The actor has been questioned by detectives.

A cinematographer was killed and a film director injured when actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun at a movie shoot in New Mexico on Thursday, Reuters reported.

The incident happened during the shooting of movie Rust, the Santa Fe police said in a statement. The deceased person has been identified as Halyna Hutchins, 42, who was working as the director of photography.

Rust director Joel Souza, 48, was injured, AFP reported.

The police said they have not yet filed any charges and were conducting an investigation.

Detectives have questioned Baldwin, Santa Fe sheriff spokesperson Juan Rio told AFP. “He [Baldwin] provided statements and answered their question,” Rio said. “ He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews.”

Baldwin, 68, is a co-producer of the movie in which he plays the character of an outlaw named Rust, whose 13-year-old grandson has been convicted of an accidental murder, reported the BBC.

Later on Friday, Baldwin said that that he was cooperating with the police in its investigation.

“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 said in a tweet.

Director Adam Egypt Mortimer said he was sad about Hutchins death and “infuriated” that such an incident could happen on a movie set. “She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film,” he tweeted.

Hutchins had worked as the director of photography in Mortimer’s movie Archenemy.

Rust stars actors Frances Fisher, Jensen Ackles, Brady Noon and Travis Fimmel, Variety reported.

The International Cinematographer’s Guild said Hutchins death was “devastating news”.

“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event,” it said. “This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our guild’s family.”

In 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of the late actor Bruce Lee, had died after being hit by a bullet during the filming of a death scene for The Crow, reported AP. The gun used in the shooting was supposed to fire a blank round. But, a postmortem report said that Lee was hit with a bullet.

In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum had died after shooting himself in the head with a blank cartridge from a prop gun on the set of the television series Cover Up.