On October 21, 2021, a weapon used as a prop on a movie set in the United States, shot a projectile that killed one person. Normally, scenes on film or TV where a gun is shot use blanks. Blanks make a bang and give off smoke, but fire no projectile (bullet).

The incident at the  Rust movie set in the ghost town, Bonanza City, New Mexico, was not caught on camera. The police are doing an investigation (as of 2022's first quarter). Criminal charges have not been made, media said on October 27; "Any decision to bring charges [...] could take weeks or months", is media's understanding after talking to the district attorney for Santa Fe County.

The incident started a debate about working conditions in the film industry, and the use of real guns as props.

Background

There have been reports about workers not being satisfied with working conditions, "and [reports about low safety or] lax safety standards on the" movie set, media said.

The movie has a low budget, of $6–7 million.

The shooting

During the incident, a gun with a caliber .45 barrel - was used as a prop; The gun discharged, and the camera woman Halyna Hutchins was then seen to be bleeding; She later died. The director of the movie, Joel Souza was injured.

When that gun had been handed to Alec Baldwin, the assistant director said that the weapon was safe to use; [Minutes or seconds] after that, the gun discharged while Baldwin was holding the gun.

"In the commotion after the shooting [... the assistant director] found the weapon [...] on a church pew. He [... took the weapon] to [... the armorer] and told her to open it so he could see what was inside. There were at least four dummy bullet casings [... or cartridges and] one empty casing"; That is media's understanding after talking to the assistant director.

The gun from the incident is a "a long-barreled [...] revolver"; It is an Italian [copy or] reproduction.

Investigations
The incident is under investigation (as of 2022's first quarter) by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, and the First Judicial District Attorney (of New Mexico), and New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.

"After lunch, the film’s prop master" took the gun out of the safe and and gave it to the armorer; That is what the armorer said to the police. Later, the armorer showed the prop weapon to the assistant director "before continuing rehearsal". Investigators say that the movie's assistant director had the prop weapon in his hands, before giving it to Alec Baldwin.

The district attorney of Santa Fe, says that they know who loaded (or put cartridges in) the gun.

Alec Baldwin is free to travel, media said on October 22.

Movie directors, producers, production companies and lawsuit
The movie director is Joel Souza (as of October); The producers of the movie are Alec Baldwin, Matt DelPiano, Ryan Donnell Smith, Anjul Nigam, Ryan Winterstern and Nathan Klingher.

The production companies (for the movie), are El Dorado Pictures, Cavalry Media, Thomasville Pictures, Brittany House Pictures, Short Porch Pictures.

An electrician that was on the movie set "has sued producers [...] and several crew members, [... saying that] negligence led to the [...] shooting", media said on November 10.

The insurance policy for the movie, has a limit of USD 6 million.

It is not known if the rest of the movie will be made; The production of this Western movie was suspended indefinitely.

References

Related pages
 Cartridge (firearms)
 Prop (or theatrical property)
 Revolver

2021 in the United States
History of New Mexico
October 2021 events
November 2021 events