All eyes are on actor Alec Baldwin after authorities say he shot and killed a cinematographer, and injured another crew member on a Sante Fe, New Mexico movie set Thursday. Baldwin was using a prop gun during the filming of a scene of the western film ‘Rust’. Authorities say cinematographer Haylna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured.
On Friday morning, Baldwin sent out a series of tweets to offer condolences to Hutchins’s family.
1-
— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021
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. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and
He also offered his full cooperation with local authorities.
2- I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.
— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021
While this is not the first movie incident involving a prop gun death, the tragic incident has many asking, how did a prop gun turn deadly?
A big misconception is that prop guns are not real guns. The term can refer to a weapon that is no longer functional or even a child’s toy gun, the term also encompasses a real gun used as a prop.
The only difference between a prop gun and a real one is its use on a movie set. The use of bullets inside a chamber of a prop gun are blanks and do not have a bullet, but still give off the impression of a shot being fired.
The circumstances of the shooting are under investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
