Late Actor Brandon Lee's Family Reacts to Alec Baldwin's Fatal Prop Gun Incident

An investigation is underway after Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of "Rust," killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. The on-set tragedy echoes the 1993 death of Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee, a rising action star and martial artist who was fatally shot with a prop gun while filming "The Crow."

The family of Brandon Lee took to social media on Friday to extend support to the family of Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year old cinematographer killed during filming at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico.

"Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust,'" the family tweeted from Lee's official Twitter account. "No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period."

Brandon Lee, the son of iconic martial artist and film star Bruce Lee and his wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, was 28 when he was killed by a .44-bullet fired around 12:30 a.m. on March 31, 1993.

Eric, Lee's character in the film, had been directed to walk into his on-set apartment and sustain gunfire that used a "squib" to simulate the effects of an actual bullet. However, when it came time for the scene to be filmed, Lee did not get up after being shot at by Michael Masse, the actor who portrayed Funboy.

Bruce Lee's headstone along with his son's, Brandon Lee, who died from a bullet firing accidentally during the filming of the movie "The Crow."

© Public Domain

According to the LA Times, Lee's mother settled out of court after filing a civil suit against the studio in 1993. No criminal charges were filed in relation to the case after an investigative report found that although there was negligence, no one was intentionally trying to hurt Lee.

Baldwin, 68, in a brief statement on Friday, noted that he is fully cooperating with the investigation into the on-set shooting. Baldwin also stated that he is in contact with Hutchins' husband.

Some netizens dug into Baldwin, highlighting his commentary on a 2017 incident in which a California officer fatally shot a man.

"I wonder how it must feel to wrongfully kill someone..." the Emmy award-winning actor tweeted. Baldwin's 2017 tweet has amassed thousands of responses in recent hours.

Those of us who lived in Wilmington NC during production on "The Crow" say hi

— Steakback Outhouse (@duane_moody) October 22, 2021

The New York Times reported that Joel Souza, the 48-year-old director of "Rust," was discharged from a New Mexico medical facility on Friday, several hours after he was hospitalized for injuries from the incident.

Frances Fisher, another actor in the 1880s Western-style film, also tweeted confirmation that Souza had left the hospital.