Jon-Erik Hexum (November 5, 1957 – October 18, 1984)

Jon-Erik Hexum is apparently unaware that his actions with the on-set gun are dangerous. Blanks use paper or plastic wadding. If the blank is fired within a few feet of the body should it strike at a particularly vulnerable spot, such as the temple or the eye - at a close enough range - the effect of the powder gasses is a small explosion can be deadly. So although the paper wadding in the blank that Hexum discharged did not penetrate his skull, there was enough blunt force trauma to shatter a quarter-sized piece of his skull and propel the pieces into his brain, causing massive hemorrhaging. Hexum is rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center, where he undergoes five hours of surgery to repair his wounds. Hexum dies six days later on October 18.