Alec Baldwin fires prop firearm on set in New Mexico leaving 1 dead, 1 injured

Actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot one person and injured another on Thursday when he fired a prop firearm on the New Mexico set of the upcoming film “Rust.”

Halyna Hutchins, 42, the cinematographer, was pronounced dead at the University of New Mexico hospital after being airlifted to the facility from the set, according to a statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

Joel Souza, 48, the director of the film, was injured and is undergoing treatment at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, according to the sheriff’s office. He was taken to the facility in an ambulance.

The sheriff’s office said an investigation is looking into how the prop firearm was set off, and what type of object was ejected.

“According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said, according to USA Today.

“Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged,” the statement added.

The sheriff’s office said it responded to a 911 call on Thursday at approximately 1:50 p.m. Mountain time, which reported that someone was shot on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set that was filming “Rust,” according to USA Today.

An active investigation is still ongoing, and nobody has been charged in connection to the incident, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives are continuing to interview witnesses.

Baldwin is an actor in “Rust,” as well as a producer.

A spokesperson for the actor told The Associated Press that an accident occurred on set that involved a prop gun with blanks being misfired.