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Update (1315ET): Issuing his first public statement since reportedly accidentally killing a senior production staffer with a “prop gun” on the set of his movie “Rust” yesterday, Alec Baldwin tweeted on Friday that he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and that he was in touch with the victim’s family in what appeared to be a carefully vetted statement that offered no clues as to what actually happened, nor assigned any blame, simply referring to her as a “tragic accident”.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

Baldwin said he’s cooperating fully in the police investigation.

1-
There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and

— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021

2- I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.

— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021

Meanwhile, as speculation about the shooting intensifies, the Times of London has offered a few thoughts about how a prop gun might be used to accidentally kill somebody. It could be possible that a live round was placed in the chamber “by mistake”.

The AP has also managed to capture this photo of Baldwin in the parking lot of the Santa Fe sheriff’s office.

Source: AP

As far as what a prop gun even is, the Times explains that, also.

A spokesman for the actor said that there had been an accident involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks

But what is a prop gun?

It looks like a real gun in every respect – but is loaded with blank cartridges

— The Times (@thetimes) October 22, 2021

What is a blank cartridge, then?

The firing mechanism is the same as for a live round. There is a build-up of gas to create sufficient pressure to produce an explosive sound and a muzzle flash but there is no bullet at the end of the cartridge pic.twitter.com/kVnTzf5vDL

— The Times (@thetimes) October 22, 2021

The military have what is called a blank-firing attachment at the end of the barrel

In the British military this is a yellow attachment that blocks off the barrel hole. Soldiers are reassured they are only using blanks in firing exercises when they see the yellow attachment

— The Times (@thetimes) October 22, 2021

But prop guns don’t have similar attachments, as it would look unrealistic for a film

Instead, some form of padding, like a cotton wad, is stuffed into the end of the blank cartridge. When the gun is fired the wadding is released like a projectile

— The Times (@thetimes) October 22, 2021

This can still prove fatal if the gun was fired accidentally at very close range

If the projectile hit the head it could be lethal

It is believed that Halyna Hutchin was struck at close range pic.twitter.com/zMHgH7k7KZ

— The Times (@thetimes) October 22, 2021

Could a live round have been placed by mistake into the gun chamber?

This would seem to be wholly unlikely. Because a real gun is being used to create a realistic film scene, there would have been a specialist safety team on the set to ensure there could be no risk involved

— The Times (@thetimes) October 22, 2021

We fully expect more details to emerge on Friday and over the weekend. Meanwhile, Baldwin’s legal team is probably getting busy. Let’s just hope – for Baldwin’s sake – that the gun wasn’t fired in response to somebody calling him “fat”.

* * *

Actor Alec Baldwin, the prominent critic of President Trump who infamously portrayed the former president on sketch comedy show SNL, has found himself in a bit of hot water after a staggering tragedy on the set of a movie he was filming.

Baldwin, who is notorious for angry outbursts directed at fellow airplane passengers and violent confrontations with strangers vying with him for the same parking spot, apparently shot and killed the director of photography, and wounded the director, of the movie “Rust”, a western which Baldwin was filming in New Mexico, according to the New York Times and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. The killing occurred Thursday when Baldwin fired a “prop firearm” on the set of the film.

The cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed, and the director, Joel Souza, 48, was injured around 1:50 p.m. on the set of “Rust,” which is being filmed in Santa Fe County, said Juan Rios, a spokesman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. The circumstances of the shooting are under investigation.

The Santa Fe Sheriff told reporters that the shooting at Bonanza Creek Ranch happened in the middle of a scene that was either being rehearsed or filmed. He said the Sheriff’s Office was interviewing people on the set to determine how the two had been shot. No charges have been filed against anyone involved with the shooting, including Baldwin.

Law enforcement says they’re still trying to nail down the details of exactly what happened.

“We’re trying to determine right now how and what type of projectile was used in the firearm,” he said.

Hutchins, the director of photography, was flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she later died. Souza, the director, was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe. His condition was “not immediately available,” per the NYT.

The movie’s production company, Rust Movie Productions LLC, said in a statement that “[t]he entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”

When approached by the NYT (and other media outlets), the film’s producers didn’t immediately respond to emails or phone calls on Thursday night, nor did Baldwin or any of his representatives.

The actor, who has starred or participated in many classic movies and television shows, has long been known for his liberal views, including his support for gun control.

Baldwin hasn’t posted on his social media accounts since the incident. However, back in 2017, Baldwin tweeted about a police shooting, saying “I wonder how it feels to wrongly kill someone?”

I wonder how it must feel to wrongfully kill someone…https://t.co/WE6QsAAXGI

— AlecBaldwin (@AlecBaldwln____) September 23, 2017

What a way to find out.