Alec Baldwin fatally shoots woman with prop gun on movie set

The movie’s director of photography was killed and the director was injured.

Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a movie set in an accident that killed a photography chief and injured a director, authorities in New Mexico have said. Police in the US state said Baldwin discharged the weapon during filming for the 19th Century western Rust. The woman was taken to hospital but died of her injuries. The man, the film's director, was receiving emergency care. Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza "were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin," the sheriff in Santa Fe said in a statement. “Ms Hutchins was transported, via helicopter, to University of New Mexico Hospital where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel," the statement read. "Mr Souza was transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical center where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. “This investigation remains open and active. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident.” The shooting at Bonanza Creek Ranch happened in the middle of a scene that was either being rehearsed or filmed. The Sheriff’s Office are interviewing people on the set to determine how the two had been shot. In a statement, the movie’s production company, Rust Movie Productions LLC, said: “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. "We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”

In a statement, John Lindley, the president of the International Cinematographers Guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, called Hutchins’s death “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,” their statement said.

“This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”