Weapons & Guns

Crew members on the set of "Rust" were quick to dial 911 after a gun accident that left one woman dead, telling operators "we need help immediately."

The caller is the film's script supervisor, and it's clear to hear the panic in her voice when she says 2 people were accidentally shot by a prop gun. The operator asks if a real bullet was fired from the gun, but the caller does not know what shot out.

The newly released call also gives some insight as to how people were shot, telling the dispatch it was during a rehearsal that the gun went off ... she does not know how serious the bleeding on either victim is.

Eventually, a male takes over the call from the film set, and let's the operator know both people are alert and a medic is tending to them ... but clearly, things took a turn for the worse.

As we reported, Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger on the gun, which caused the accident ... 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins died at the hospital after being airlifted and Director Joel Souza was also struck, but was reportedly released from the hospital.

Baldwin released a statement Friday, saying, "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."

He continued, "I am in touch with 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."

There have not yet been any arrests from the incident, and it continues to be investigated by the local sheriff, district attorney and OHSB.

Alec Baldwin was filming a scene for a movie that required someone to fire a gun loaded with blanks, but when the gun discharged either shrapnel or a bullet hit 2 people on set ... one of whom had to be airlifted to a hospital.

Our sources tell us the incident happened Thursday on location in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Alec is filming a new western he's starring in called "Rust" at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a movie ranch.

We're told Alec was filming the scene when someone pulled the prop gun's trigger. It's unclear if the person who loaded the gun mistakenly placed bullets inside, or if something was lodged in the barrel that hit the director as well as the director of photography.

Our sources say the director was hit in the clavicle, but the DP wasn't so lucky ... she was airlifted and rushed to a hospital. As for Alec, we're told he was not injured.

Earlier Thursday, he posted a pic of himself in character on the set. After the accident, we're told production shut down for the day.

Local sheriff's deputies are on the scene already and they've launched an investigation.

The woman killed on the set of Alec Baldwin's film "Rust" once described herself as a "restless dreamer" and "adrenaline junkie" -- but it was her "brilliant talent" that stuck with those who worked with her.

Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year-old Director of Photography, hailed from Ukraine and grew up as an "army brat" on a Soviet military base "surrounded by reindeer and and nuclear submarines" ... according to her website. She was also named one of American Cinematographer magazine’s “rising stars” in 2019.

Most recently, Halyna worked on the film "Archenemy" as the DP. The project starred Joe Manganiello, who praised her talent in a touching tribute, saying, "... she was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to see what she could pull off next."

Adam Egypt Mortimer, who directed "Archenemy," also paid tribute, calling Halyna a "brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film."

As we reported, Halyna and "Rust" director Joel Souza were both struck -- either by a bullet or shrapnel -- after a serious mishap from a gun fired by Alec Baldwin. Halyna was airlifted to a local hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she died from her injuries. Souza is expected to survive.

Baldwin was spotted shortly after the accident looking distraught ... he had also recently posted a photo from set, which was later deleted.

Halyna leaves behind a husband and a son.

Another shooting went down Tuesday night in Bev Hills -- the latest one to hit the ritzy town this year ... which begs a serious question about violent crime in the 90210.

Beverly Hills PD says it responded to reports of a shooting late Tuesday night, which went down near Italian restaurant Via Alloro ... and left one victim with a gunshot wound to the leg. Cops say the shooting was the result of an attempted armed robbery.

It sounds like the perp(s) left empty-handed and the police are on the hunt ... but remember, something very similar happened a few short months ago at nearby celeb hot spot Il Pastaio, where a handful of men pulled off something similar -- in broad daylight, no less.

We broke the story ... cops ended up arresting 3 alleged gang members in May, whom they say had the audacity to pull an armed robbery in March, in pursuit of a $500k Richard Mille watch a man was wearing -- which they successfully stole, while leaving a woman shot in the leg as they fled. Here, too, somebody was left with a bullet in their lower half.

This is NOT a new phenomenon, BTW -- Bev Hills has long been a place where criminals have tried stealing jewelry off of people's bodies -- especially pricey Rolex watches, and other valuables -- but it now seems to be spinning into a violent endeavor, with guns blazing.

We looked into the crime stats too over the past couple years -- and sure enough, property crime in Beverly Hills is through the roof compared to the rest of L.A. and the rest of the country -- up 108% compared to the national average as recently as 2020, which is nuts.

Prosecutors in the YNW Melly double murder case could help prove their case against the rapper -- that is, if they can get their hands on his saliva and match it to DNA at the scene.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors are asking a Broward County judge to force Melly to submit an oral swab ... because they want to check if his C's, A's, G's and T's match up to DNA samples they found on a key piece of evidence collected during the investigation.

That evidence is a yellow jacket ... which prosecutors say already has DNA that matches Anthony Williams, one of the 2 people killed in the shooting.

Prosecutors claim there are 3 other potential DNA profiles on that jacket ... and seeing as how Melly is one of the people charged with the murders -- prosecutors wanna see if his DNA is also on the jacket.

As we reported, prosecutors allege Melly and his pal, Cortlen Henry, gunned down their buddies, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr., and then hatched an elaborate plan to make it seem the men had died in a drive-by.

A high school football game abruptly ended Friday night after gunfire erupted and 4 people were shot.

Players from Williamson High School were on the field against rival Vigor High School at the Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, when gunfire rang through the stadium, just before 10 PM.

Two of the 4 people shot were minors ... one person is in critical condition.

It's unclear where the shots came from, but it appears the shooter was not on the field or in the stands. As you see from the video, the players dropped to the ground and people in the stands fled ... leaving the stadium in a panic.

The shooter was not apprehended and it's unclear if police have any leads. A witness told cops 2 people and possibly more fled the stadium in a white sedan after the shooting, but it's unclear if they had anything to do with the shooting.

Chris Pearson, one of the first contestants on MTV's hit show, "Ex on the Beach," is dead from a stabbing incident ... TMZ has learned.

Chris died over the weekend according to several of his friends and law enforcement. We're told he got into an altercation early Sunday, around 2 AM, in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, and the other person ended up stabbing him. He was transported to a hospital, but died around 3:30 AM from his injuries.

Friends have started a GoFundMe for his family back in Colorado -- Chris' home state -- and the page describes the circumstances of his death as a "tragic encounter."

Chris, a professional DJ, appeared on the first season of 'EOTB' ... and, although the whole concept of the show is bring together castoffs from other reality shows ... Pearson was one of the few who seemingly had no prior TV experience.

On the show, 2 of his exes were brought on to confront Chris -- which is the whole gimmick of the show -- who came off as a party boy, but also got vulnerable ... crying on camera over one his old GFs.

All-in-all, he appeared in all 11 episodes, and provided some of the show's best drama. Since his time on 'Ex' ... he's gone on to continue his music career with much success.

One of Chris' fellow MTV stars acknowledged his passing -- Taylor Selfridge from 'Teen Mom' commented under his last IG post ... dropping sad face emojis and prayer hands. Others are leaving similar comments.

We're told police are investigating the stabbing, and they have leads. Our law enforcement sources say it's a "solvable case."

Chris was only 25.

A crazed gunman on an alleged crime spree in L.A. ended his trail of terror by taking a woman hostage -- only to be killed by cops who stormed in ... all of which is on video.

LAPD says this guy was on a criminal tear before fleeing into the Santa Fe Loft & Apartments high-rise building in downtown Friday ... running into a lady in the halls as police were hot on his trail, and forcing her into her unit at gunpoint -- barricading himself inside.

From there, a tense standoff unfolded -- but even prior to what you see on video here -- captured by another DTLA resident from across the way -- cops say the gunman was running amok on the streets ... allegedly shooting folks in a business, trying to carjack someone and even attempting to shoot someone in the head, with the gun failing to go off.

Like we said, this was his final stop -- and as you can see ... it was truly life or death, as the guy clearly appears to have had his own gun at her head while she was on her knees.

Helicopters were zooming ... and within minutes, a SWAT team was at the door, trying to negotiate with the man -- but ultimately decided to bust in and take control of the sitch, which they did. Luckily, the victim was unharmed as they unloaded their weapons on him.

She'd been moved to another area of the apartment, and was taken to a hospital afterward for an evaluation. Considering the violence this man is alleged to have inflicted before this ... it's a miracle the woman was left relatively unscathed, and walked away with her life intact.

The cops explained their actions on Twitter ... saying that based on what they'd been told the man had already done and the dire nature of the moment -- in addition to what they themselves were seeing via surveillance -- SWAT decided to take action ... and an officer-involved shooting occurred, killing the suspect on the scene.

Creighton University baseball administrator and ex-minor leaguer Chris Gradoville was tragically shot and killed Wednesday, the school announced. He was just 37 years old.

The tragedy occurred when Gradoville -- who also played for the Bluejays from 2004-07 -- showed up to make a repair at a rental home he recently sold to a realty company, according to Omaha police.

Gradoville was shot multiple times outside the home ... and was found dead in the yard around 7:55 AM after cops responded to a report of gunshots.

43-year-old Ladell Thornton -- who is believed to have been renting the home -- was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

The incident sparked sorrow from the University, prompting Creighton’s head baseball coach to say he was lucky to have known Gradoville since he was 17.

"Having Chris as a member of our staff over the last 18 months was tremendous because he was a such a great man and a great teammate," Ed Servais said.

"Whether you were a player, teammate or fellow staff member that needed a hand, Chris was one of the first guys to step forward."

Gradoville was a part of the 2007 Creighton team that won the school's first Missouri Valley Conference title ... and was later drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 24th-round of the 2007 MLB draft.

The president of the university, athletic director and other members of the athletic dept. released statements as well ... expressing their sadness over the loss.

"The Creighton community is absolutely devastated by the death of Chris Gradoville," the school said Thursday.

"Chris represented the very best of what it meant to be a Bluejay. He was an alumnus, former standout baseball player, and the volunteer director of baseball operations."

Utah Utes football player Aaron Lowe was tragically shot and killed at a Salt Lake City house party on Saturday ... just hours after playing in a game.

He was just 21 years old.

The Salt Lake City Police Dept. confirmed the news over the weekend ... saying they initially got a call about the house party at around 10:30 PM on Saturday for a noise complaint.

Hours later, at around 12:20 AM, cops say they got more calls regarding a fight involving a weapon, as well as gunshots.

The SCLPD says when it arrived on the scene, officers found Lowe and an unidentified woman suffering from gunshot wounds.

Cops say first responders rendered aid to both Lowe and the woman -- but said Lowe tragically died at the scene.

The woman, meanwhile, was transported to a nearby hospital -- where cops say she remains in critical condition.

The SLCPD added it's investigating the incident as a homicide ... though no arrests have been made yet.

Lowe -- who had primarily played on special teams in his 3-year career with the Utes -- had just logged time in the Utes' 24-13 win over Washington State.

The tragedy, meanwhile, comes less than a year after another Utes football player, Ty Jordan, was killed in an accidental shooting.

Lowe and Jordan were teammates at West Mesquite H.S. in Texas before joining the Utes ... and when Jordan died in Dec. 2020, Lowe switched his jersey number from #2 to Jordan's #22 to honor him.

Lowe was also the first recipient of the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship.

A man was shot and presumably killed this weekend as he squirmed on the ground in front of at least four police officers ... a couple of whom opened fire on him at point blank range.

Huntington Beach PD confirmed there was an officer involved shooting Saturday, but didn't not provide any further details ... including the status of the man who was gunned down. We're told this individual was transported to a hospital, but his condition is unknown. The cops also say there is no current public safety threat.

TMZ has obtained video of the gruesome killing -- which shows a man, who appears to be Black and/or a POC, writhing on the ground and raise his arm as well what appears to be a plastic bag of some sort ... before the officers around him unload multiple rounds of their firearms.

More backup arrived, and the police set up a perimeter to deal with the situation.

As you can see and hear, there were multiple witnesses ... who were near Sandy's Beach Shack at the pier. One eyewitness tells us they saw the cops in pursuit of this man, whom they'd already fired upon at least once. He jumped over the wall and fell to the ground. We're told they heard cops shouting orders at him, but before long ... they were shooting.

Others who were in the area captured photos of the aftermath -- and the man appears to by lying lifeless on the ground as officers approached.

No word yet on what exactly led up to this ... but at any rate, it doesn't seem like the HB crowd was all too outraged by what they'd just seen. If anything, a lot of them appeared to be more on the cops' side. It's unclear at this point if he was armed with a weapon or not.

At first glance, though ... he doesn't seem to have been posing a threat from his position.

21 Savage's notorious ICE case from 2019 is circling back again ... the rapper's now facing gun and drugs charges in connection with the original incident with ICE agents.

According to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office ... Savage is facing 2 new charges related to his arrest in Atlanta back in Feb. 2019 -- possession of a schedule II controlled substance, and possession of a gun.

The rapper turned himself in to authorities Thursday and bonded out right away. According to 21's lawyer, Charles Kuck, this is a state law charge related to his incident with ICE 2.5 years ago.

Kuck tells us, "Last night’s manufactured charges are yet another example of how our justice system, from ICE down to the local level, unjustly targets young Black men who seek to exercise their rights. There is no legitimate basis for these charges nor for ICE’s continued antics, and we will fight until Mr. Joseph is justly vindicated.”

As we reported back then ... Savage was arrested and placed in ICE custody because it was discovered that his visa expired and he's been here illegally for years. ICE is still trying to deport Savage to England ... something the rapper has been fighting.

What TMZ has now learned, is that during the Feb. 2019 arrest ... authorities allege 21 threw a bottle of liquid that had codeine in it out of his car, and a handgun was found inside the vehicle.

Hence, he's now been formally charged with drug and gun possession as his upcoming hearing in immigration court approaches. It's set for November.

The Taliban is apparently taking advantage of abandoned luxuries in Afghanistan, this time pedal boating on the lake of an empty park.

Check out these photos of a group of reported Taliban militants hitting up the waters in swan, flamingo and other bird-themed vessels at the Band-e Amir National Park near the Bamiyan Provience.

The Taliban members pedal while also making sure to carry their arsenal of weapons with them -- including a rifle and what appears to be a rocket launcher.

It's a bizarre scene ... one of many that have surfaced of the Taliban in seemingly out of place situations -- this, of course, after they've taken over Afghanistan and had their run of the place, following a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces.

Not too long ago, guys from the Taliban filmed themselves hitting up a gym they found inside the walls of the Presidential Palace in Kabul -- fiddling with the machines and yukking it up with each other in amusement.

Spotemgottem is recovering in a Florida hospital after being shot multiple times in a Miami road rage incident.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Florida Highway Patrol responded to a road rage incident involving a shooting around 3 AM Friday, with the car the rapper was riding in being shot at least 22 times on the driver's side.

Our sources say the driver told troopers he was driving southbound on I-95 when gunshots started ringing out from another car. We're told the driver was shot in his hip, and Spotemgottem suffered gunshot wounds to both legs, and they were both taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

Spotemgottem's manager, Dee Phatboy, tells TMZ ... the 19-year-old rapper was riding in the passenger seat when another vehicle pulled beside them and shot up Spotemgottem's ride with an automatic weapon.

The "Beat Box" rapper's manager says Spotem was being driven from a Miami recording studio when the shooting went down ... and he's expected to make a full recovery.

Spotemgottem has collabed with the likes of DaBaby, Polo G, Pooh Shiesty and NLE Choppa.

Lady Gaga's dog walker says when doctors were working on him after he was shot, blood was spurting out of his chest as he lay on the operating table, and doctors feared he would die.

Ryan Fischer told Gayle King on "CBS Mornings" ... when the dognappers confronted him with a gun as he walked 3 of Lady Gaga's dogs, he knew he was going to get shot. Nevertheless, he felt it was his mission to fight for the safety of the canines.

He says the bullet went through his clavicle near his neck and exited through his shoulder blade, piercing his lung on the way out. Once in surgery, as doctors frantically tried inserting a chest tube, blood started spurting all over the place and his blood pressure dropped to a crisis level.

The good news ... he says Gaga was an angel and went above and beyond to help him in his recovery. She flew his family out to L.A. and he stayed at her house for months where he had family, friends and security around him.

Ryan has really been through it ... he tried walking dogs for a short time after he recovered physically, but couldn't handle the emotional trauma and went on a cross-country trip to find peace. He says he's still struggling.

A man was arrested after showing up at Ariana Grande's Hollywood Hills home in the middle of the night, then flashing a knife when security tried to get him to leave.

23-year-old Aharon Brown's facing a felony brandishing charge for the incident, which our law enforcement sources tell us went down around 2 AM Friday on Ariana's property.

We're told Brown arrived and demanded to see the singer, and when security told him to beat it ... he refused and pulled a knife. LAPD was called to the scene and arrested him.

It's unclear if Ariana was home at the time, but if she was ... we're told she never came out during the altercation or Brown's arrest.