# Alec Baldwin \[accidentally\] Kills Crew Member with Prop Gun {2021-10-21} **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** breaking-news\ **Created:** [October 22, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960 "2021-10-22T02:38:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/1 "2021-10-22T02:38:58Z")
> **[Alec Baldwin “Discharged” Prop Gun That Killed ‘Rust’ Cinematographer Halyna...](https://deadline.com/2021/10/alec-baldwin-movie-fatal-shooting-director-crew-member-dead-rust-1234860500/)** > > UPDATED with more law enforcement information: The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” the prop gun that killed Rust cinematograp… More info to follow. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/2 "2021-10-22T02:43:35Z")
Why was live ammo within a hundred miles of the set and why weren’t they using a deactivated(?) gun? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/3 "2021-10-22T02:45:45Z")
I’m reading a report that says the gun was loaded with a blank. Some people do not realize that a blank is still a live round and they get careless with them because they mistakenly think they’re completely safe. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/4 "2021-10-22T02:47:09Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Why was live ammo within a hundred miles of the set I’m sure that more will come out in the days to come, but prop guns with “blanks” (if that was what was in the prop in this case) can still injure and kill. Actor Jon-Erik Hexum was killed on a TV set in 1984, when he was playing around with a prop gun that was loaded with blanks. > **[Jon-Erik Hexum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon-Erik_Hexum)** > > Jon-Erik Hexum (/ˈhɛksəm/; November 5, 1957 – October 18, 1984) was an American actor and model, known for his lead roles in the TV series Voyagers! and Cover Up, and his supporting role as Pat Trammell in the biopic The Bear. He died by an accidental self-inflicted blank cartridge gunshot to the head on the set of Cover Up. > Hexum was born in Englewood, New Jersey in 1957, to Thorleif Andreas Hexum, a Norwegian immigrant, and Gretha Olivia (Paulsen) Hexum, a Minnesota-born American of Norwegian ... ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/5 "2021-10-22T02:51:04Z")
I know blanks can be dangerous. How did he hit two people? Wouldn’t the first one be a clue? ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/6 "2021-10-22T02:52:37Z")
My first thought was the accident on the set of _The Crow_ that killed Brandon Lee. This sounds eerily similar. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/7 "2021-10-22T02:52:52Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How did he hit two people? Wouldn’t the first one be a clue? I would hazard a guess that one shot hit both of them. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/8 "2021-10-22T03:07:00Z")
And all firearms are supposed to be under strict supervision. Even if this is an accident there will be jail time for those who were negligent. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/9 "2021-10-22T03:09:59Z")
Can’t speak to the possible criminal penalties surrounding something like this, but I anticipate that there will be an avalanche of lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/10 "2021-10-22T03:12:16Z")
Because the handling of firearms is so strongly regulated there has to be negligence involved. And since someone was killed it really leaves prosecutors with little choice. Think Vic Morrow and The Twilight Zone movie. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/11 "2021-10-22T03:18:24Z")
This happened years ago to an actor who pointed a prop gun to his head and killed himself. The shock wave coming off the gun is powerful enough to punch through the skull and embed the packing wad. If it turns out that was the case it should have been common knowledge in the industry and set standards of training for anyone on the set where a prop gun is used. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/12 "2021-10-22T03:20:22Z")
Addressed in post 4. 🙂 Agreed that they should have known the risks. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/13 "2021-10-22T03:24:28Z")
Doh. I thought that was the victim in this event. I’m not even sure why they use them. They need a kids cap gun that makes some noise. It doesn’t require a pass-through barrel. Someone has some explaining to do. What a waste. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/14 "2021-10-22T03:25:08Z")
[CBS News’s story](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rust-movie-alec-baldwin-one-dead-one-wounded-prop-firearm-discharged/) indicates that the incident occurred during the filming of a scene, though at this early point in the news, that may or may not be accurate. > [@](#): > > The two were shot just before 2 p.m. local time Thursday while filming a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, the sheriff’s office said. It is not yet clear how it was discharged or what type of projectile was discharged, the sheriff’s office said. Given that the two who were struck by the discharge were on the production team, not actors (and specifically the director and the director of photography), if it was, indeed, during the filming of a scene, I wonder if Baldwin was firing a gun (with blanks) in the direction of the camera, which also happened to be in the direction of the two of them. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/15 "2021-10-22T03:29:39Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > if it was, indeed, during the filming of a scene, I wonder if Baldwin was firing a gun (with blanks) in the direction of the camera, which also happened to be in the direction of the two of them This is what makes the most sense; except in the overwhelming majority of cases they would not stand in the line of fire, and if anyone did need to for some unusual reason, there would be bulletproof shields in place. So something less than typical had to have fallen short in the safety protocols. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/16 "2021-10-22T03:34:32Z")
If the cartridge doesn’t have a bullet then the packing wad wouldn’t carry any weight (literally) as a projectile. Maybe the barrel exploded and they were hit by shrapnel which would explain more than one person being hit. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/17 "2021-10-22T03:35:45Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Maybe the barrel exploded and they were hit by shrapnel. I considered that too. I would’ve expected Alec Baldwin to be injured in that instance, though, and there’s been no mention of that. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/18 "2021-10-22T03:38:41Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I considered that too. I would’ve expected Alec Baldwin to be injured in that instance, though, and there’s been no mention of that. If the barrel exploded then I would expect people at a right angle to the line of the barrel to be hit and not in front of or behind. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/19 "2021-10-22T03:42:35Z")
I hate Alec Baldwin and hope he does hard time in prison. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960/20 "2021-10-22T03:46:17Z")
Interesting tid-bit. [In 1993,](https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/woman-fatally-shot-prop-firearm-mexico-movie-set-80718004) Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie “The Crow.″ The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alec-baldwin-accidentally-kills-crew-member-with-prop-gun-2021-10-21/952960.md?page=2)