Actor Shot In Head By Prop Gun (VIDEO)

Posted on January 21, 2009

A group of senior citizens nearly had a deadly rehearsal for their drama “Of Mice and Men” Monday night. An actor, Kelly Kellerman, was shot in the head by a prop gun. Read more of about the poor actor shot in the head and see news video below.

On Monday evening, a prop gun being used for a shooting scene turned out to be real and loaded!

An actor was shot in the head during the rehearsal. Kelly Kellerman, 81, was playing the part of “Lenny” in the Sarasota Senior Theater’s “Of Mice and Men” drama. The actor was shot at point blank range in the back of the head during their final rehearsal.

Bill Bordy, Kellerman’s co-star and the show’s director, pulled the trigger and at first thought the gun’s loud bang was a special effect.

“I’m the actor, I’m the director and we’re running and late, and without thinking I didn’t check the gun,” said Bordy, who was so upset over the incident he could hardly sleep.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, dear Lord, no.’”

Kellerman was rushed to the hospital bleeding, but thankfully the bullet only grazed his skull, causing a cut above his left ear.

The wounded actor says the worst part of the shooting was the loud bang which caused momentary hearing loss, and a painful tetanus shot administered by nurses at the hospital.

“Actually, it makes me feel kind of special. My fifteen minutes of fame,” joked Kellerman, who has already been released from the hospital and is now back at his home in Sarasota.

The gun was brought in by a fellow cast member who forgot to remove the bullets. The incident happened at the Manatee Theater in Bradenton, and police are investigating the incident.

The rehearsal, including the shooting, was caught on tape by a camera set up to record the show. From now on, the group will implement new rules to keep future accidents from happening.

Here is the news report on the actor’s shooting: