Alec Baldwin accidentally shot prop gun that killed woman on set

A woman has been killed and a man injured after they were shot by a prop firearm on the movie set of Rust, which stars Alec Baldwin.

The Sante Fe, New Mexico Sheriff’s Department later confirmed that Baldwin "discharged" the prop gun.

The statement read:

"The sheriff’s office confirms that two individuals were shot on the set of Rust. Halyna Hutchins, 42, director of photography and Joel Souza, 48, director, were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor."

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said Hutchins was airlifted to a hospital, where she died, while Souza was getting emergency care at another hospital.

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The investigation remains 'open and active,' while detectives continue to interview witnesses. No charges have been filed.

Production has been halted on the Western movie, which is being directed by Souza with Baldwin producing and starring in it.

A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Baldwin was seen on Thursday outside the sheriff’s office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful.

"According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged," sheriff’s spokesman Juan Rios told the Albuquerque Journal. "Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged."

Deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls came in of a person being shot on set, Rios said.

Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office.

The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.

Travis Fimmel, Brady Noon, Frances Fisher and Jensen Ackles also star.

Tributes for Hutchins have already begun flowing in on social media, with the likes of Elijah Wood, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn sharing their condolences.

"I am so so sorry. rest easy. My love and strength to your family," Johnson wrote in the comments section of Hutchins's most recent Instagram post.

Additional reporting by AP.

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