Accidents occur everywhere, including movie sets. Oftentimes, we may never hear about them unless they involve a death.
The latest accident on a movie set occurred in New Mexico. Rust movie co-producer, Alec Baldwin, was using a prop gun that misfired blanks. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, aged 42, has died. The film's director, Joel Souza aged 48, was injured and has been released from the hospital. Family, friends, and entertainers in Hollywood are shocked, wondering how this could have even happened. As reported by CBS News, Baldwin said, "My heart is broken for [Halyna's] husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna." Obviously, this event is being investigated by the local police.
While I was reading about the New Mexico tragedy, another past incident came to mind with the death of Bruce Lee's son, Brandon, on a movie set in 1993 by a gun that had a real bullet cartridge lodged in it. According to The Indian Express,
The gun was meant to be filled with blank rounds, but autopsy revealed a real bullet that entered his body near his spine. It was later determined that the gun used had earlier fired a round that caused a cartridge to become lodged in the barrel. When blank rounds were later fired, the cartridge was dislodged and released.
People are questioning and commenting through posts across the internet, what type of gun safety practice was put in place for this latest incident. And there's the recurring thought of how accidents are generally caused by someone's negligence.
In 1956, The Conqueror was filmed at a nuclear fallout site in Utah. Ninety-one people died later of cancer, including actor John Wayne who died in 1979 of stomach cancer.
In 1982, while filming Twilight Zone: The Movie, actor Vic Morrow and two children were killed during a helicopter crash. The film's producer was found not guilty of manslaughter.
During the 1985 filming of Top Gun, a stunt man lost control of a plane and ended up crashing in the Pacific Ocean. The stunt man and the plane were never found.
The list goes on and on. While real bullets are never to be near movie sets, maybe the use of blanks should be banned as well. Heartwarming thoughts to everyone associated with this tragedy, especially the family of wife and mother, Halyna Hutchins.
Sources: Alec Baldwin calls fatal movie set shooting a "tragic accident"; She Knows; The Indian Express.
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