Accidental shooting on Baldwin movie set shows prop guns can be dangerous

SANTA FE, N.M. — As police investigate what happened when actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of his new movie in New Mexico, there are conflicting reports of whether the prop gun was loaded with live rounds or blanks.

Boston 25 News Security Analyst Dan Linskey said the incident reveals just how dangerous even prop guns can be.

“It’s Hollywood special effects. So, they want to make it as realistic as possible,” Linskey explained. “So that means it’s probably going to be loud. It’s probably going to have explosive gunpowder in that round if it’s firing blanks. And if you’re not careful, the wad from the blank round can be a projectile and can kill somebody.”

>>>MORE: Alec Baldwin releases first statement after prop gun incident that killed cinematographer

In Massachusetts, licensed gun owners are required to hold a certificate for completing a gun safety course. And one key basic rule of safety is to respect all firearms.

“Always treat a gun as if it’s loaded and don’t point it at people unless you mean to,” Paul Ferrazzani, owner of the Firearms Safety Academy in Medford said. “Any type of firearm, all the way down to a low-powered air gun, you need to be safe. You need to always follow the safety rules. This way you don’t hurt anybody. This way you don’t accidentally kill someone.”

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