Alec Baldwin - prop gun accident. One person dead. One injured.

[underpants]

Alec Baldwin shoots prop gun, killing 1, injuring another on set of 'Rust,' officials say

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alec-baldwin-shoots-prop-gun-killing-1-injuring-another-set-n1282126

Producer and actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun that killed a woman and injured a man on the set of the movie “Rust” in New Mexico on Thursday, Santa Fe County sheriff's office said.

The film's director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed, and director Joel Souza, 48, was injured when Baldwin, 63, discharged a prop firearm, the sheriff's office said in a statement Thursday evening.

"There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks," a spokesperson for Baldwin said in a statement. "Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority."

[SheltieLover]

1. Omg!

How awful!

How could this happen?.

[Omnipresent]

2. Prop guns shoot deadly blanks?

[exboyfil]

7. If it has something in the bore

Like with Brandon Lee. There was the slug from a simulated bullet (used to show loading the gun) that had stuck in the barrel (it had separated from the cartridge because the primer was improperly in place. A blank was loaded and fired at Lee which propelled the slug.

[Act_of_Reparation]

10. Yes.

A blank is a cartridge without a projectile, but it still contains a lot of propellant. In the case of Brandon Lee, a dummy projectile became stuck in the barrel of a prop gun; a blank was enough to propel that dummy projectile at lethal speed.

[LeftInTX]

16. Brandon Lee was killed when dummy bullets were made incorrectly

Basically, the primers were left on the cartridges, allowing the bullet casing to separate and then be propelled with great force, killing Brandon Lee.

A friend in Wilmington's father was actually on set that day, and said it was confusing as hell when it happened. Folks thought Lee was goofing around.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215971901#post29

[bamagal62]

3. What a terrible thing to happen.

A prop gun can fire real bullets? That just doesn’t seem right??? He now has killed someone. How horrible.

[bearsfootball516]

4. Also, why the fuck would you even put REAL bullets in it?

[imanamerican63]

8. Blanks can be just as deadly as a real bullet.

We used blanks bullets in basic training and a soldier lost a part of hand because another soldier was messing around and shot the gun when he pointed at a group of us.

[bamagal62]

14. Wow. I had no idea.

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. They didn't.

There are two types of prop rounds: blanks and dummies.

Blanks are firing cartridges without projectiles. They create the bang and the muzzle flash.

Dummies are non-firing cartridges with projectiles and no propellant. They are used to show the weapon being loaded, etc.

Things get dangerous if there is something stuck in the barrel of the prop gun when a blank round is fired.

[eShirl]

5. it doesn't say bullets

[obamanut2012]

12. They do not

They fire blanks/dummies cartridges.

[LeftInTX]

17. Blanks need to be made correctly.

When we think of blanks we think of target practice, but it's more complicated in movies

In Brandon Lee's case they had two types of "blanks". The first one did not have gun powder, it somehow lodged in the gun. Then typical blanks were installed and they have gunpowder. The result was the same as a live round.

Basically, the primers were left on the cartridges, allowing the bullet casing to separate and then be propelled with great force, killing Brandon Lee.

A friend in Wilmington's father was actually on set that day, and said it was confusing as hell when it happened. Folks thought Lee was goofing around.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215971901#post29

[Tomconroy]

6. Here's an article about prop guns:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59006905

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

9. Need more facts, was it a projectile that killed her, or shrapnel? Its on the special effects folks

[Azathoth]

13. That's a tragedy all around

The poor victims and their families are suffering, and Baldwin has to spend the rest of his life knowing he accidentally killed someone.

Will be interesting to see exactly what happened. Hitting two people at the same time makes me think this was more than a Brandon Lee tragedy.

[underpants]

15. Brandon Lee - I couldn't remember but I knew this had happened before

Thanks. Tragic.

[RobinA]

18. Isn't This

why they USED to teach kids to never point a gun (including a toy) at anybody? I notice kids do it all the time now.

[Steelrolled]

19. Two things I find incredible...

1. After the accidents of the past (not a lot, but very memorable) this stuff still happens. I would think the technical people would have to work very hard to make sure nothing an actor might do would cause harm.
2. You can kill someone and wound another with (presumably) one shot.

[lpbk2713]

20. Someone wasn't doing their job.

The weapon should have been checked and double checked.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

21. There were no union prop masters on set.

They bussed in scabs.