Alec Baldwin fatally shoots woman with prop gun on movie set

Alec Balwin is a co-producer of the film Rust, which was being filmed in New Mexico

A woman has died and a man has been injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a New Mexico film set.

Police in the US state said Mr 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.

A spokesperson for Mr Baldwin told AP news agency the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks.

The woman has been named as Halyna Hutchins, 42, who was working as director of photography. The man being treated is Joel Souza, 48, the film's director.

Police are still investigating the incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular filming location, and no charges have been filed.

In a statement to AFP news agency, a Santa Fe sheriff spokesman said Mr Baldwin had spoken with detectives.

"He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews," the spokesperson said.

According to her personal website, Ms Hutchins was from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle. She studied journalism in Kyiv, and film in Los Angeles, and was named a "rising star" by the American Cinematographer magazine in 2019.

She was the director of photography for the 2020 action film Archenemy, directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer.

"I'm so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set," Mr Mortimer said in a tweet.

In a statement, the International Cinematographer's Guild said Ms Hutchins' death was "devastating news" and "a terrible loss".

"The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event," said guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine.

Police said sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Bonanza Creek Ranch at around 13:50 local time (19:50 GMT) after receiving an emergency call about a shooting on set.

Mr Baldwin is a co-producer of the film and plays its namesake, an outlaw whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of an accidental murder.

The eldest of four brothers, all actors, Mr Baldwin has starred in numerous TV and film roles since the 1980s.

He won numerous awards for his role as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. His portrayal of Donald Trump on sketch show Saturday Night Live also won him critical acclaim, and a third Primetime Emmy.

Source: BBC