A crewmember has been killed on the set of the upcoming Western movie Rust, starring Alec Baldwin, after a prop firearm discharged in a tragic accident.
Filming was halted on Thursday following the fatal incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which left a 42-year-old woman dead and another crewmember injured.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office says it responded to the movie set at around 1.50pm after a 911 caller indicated someone had been shot in the arm.
‘According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,’ the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
‘Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged,’ the statement added.
A crewmember has been killed on the set (above) of the upcoming Western movie Rust, starring Alec Baldwin, after a prop firearm discharged in a tragic accident
Alec Baldwin is seen on the set of Rust with fake blood during filming. Filming was halted on Thursday following the fatal incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe
Police said that a 42-year-old female was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A 42-year-old man was rushed by ambulance to Cristus St. Vincent’s Hospital where he is being treated for injuries, and is expected to survive.
‘There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks,’ read a statement from Rust Movie Productions LLC.
‘Two crew members have been taken to the hospital and are receiving care. Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority,’ the statement concluded.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed to Deadline that the incident was being investigated, with criminal investigators on the scene.
There is no indication that there was any criminal activity involving the incident, given the production company’s statement.
Halted: ‘Two crew members have been taken to the hospital and are receiving care. Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority,’ the statement concluded
Church: Albuquerque’s KOB 4 news anchor Tessa Mentus tweeted a photo from her network’s chopper, showing a church set blocked off
Security: Another KOB 4 reporter, Giuli Frendak, shared a photo of a security gate, adding, ‘Security guard at the entrance to the set of Rust”, a western movie in production in #SantaFe, told us the set is on lockdown right now. Couldn’t share anything else. Waiting for more details from Santa Fe Sheriff on today’s incident near Bonanza Creek’
Albuquerque’s KOB 4 news anchor Tessa Mentus tweeted a photo from her network’s chopper, showing a church set blocked off.
‘@santafesheriff investigating incident at #Rust movie set on Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Pic from #Chopper4 shows an old church set blocked off, and set security confirms its lockdown,’ Mentus tweeted.
Another KOB 4 reporter, Giuli Frendak, shared a photo of a security gate, adding, ‘Security guard at the entrance to the set of Rust”, a western movie in production in #SantaFe, told us the set is on lockdown right now. Couldn’t share anything else. Waiting for more details from Santa Fe Sheriff on today’s incident near Bonanza Creek.’
A new report from TMZ reveals details about the incident, which revealed Alec Baldwin was filming a scene that involved a gun being fired.
The gun was supposed to be loaded with blanks, but when the gun fired, ‘either shrapnel or a bullet hit two people on the set,’ one of whom needed to be airlifted to the hospital.
While it’s unclear what was loaded into the gun, the two people who were hit were writer-director Joel Souza, who was reportedly hit in the clavicle, and the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, who was rushed to the hospital via helicopter and died, according to TMZ.
Director: While it’s unclear what was loaded into the gun, one of the two people who was injured was writer-director Joel Souza (above), who was reportedly hit in the clavicle
Halyna: Director of photography Halyna Hutchins was also struck in the incident and was rushed to the hospital via helicopter
Baldwin was not injured in the incident, with production shut down for the day after the incident.
Rust, which Souza also wrote the screenplay for, is set in 1880s Kansas, following a young boy who goes on the run with his grandfather after the accidental killing of a local rancher.
Baldwin stars alongside Travis Fimmel, Jensen Ackles and Frances Fisher.
Alec: Baldwin was not injured in the incident, with production shut down for the day after the incident