Actor Jon-Erik Hexum died at age 26 after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a prop gun while filming his TV series Cover Up. The incident occurred on October 12, 1984, during delays on set, and he was pronounced dead six days later.
Rise to Fame and Fatal Filming
Hexum grew up in New Jersey before moving to New York and then Los Angeles to pursue acting and modeling. His first major role came in 1982 in the NBC series Voyagers!, followed by appearances opposite Joan Collins in The Making of a Male Model and his feature film debut in The Bear.
In a 1984 interview with the Akron-Beacon Journal, he said: “I’ve always had the Rocky mentality and I believe in taking care of myself. And it’s good for my career, too.”
While filming the seventh episode of Cover Up, titled Golden Opportunity, at 20th Century Fox, Hexum became frustrated with delays, according to his then-girlfriend, actress E.G. Daily. She recalled: “I remember it being a very strange few weeks. He was very stressed, more stressed than I remember him ever being.”
The Accident and Its Aftermath
Hexum’s character was supposed to shoot himself with a .44 Magnum revolver loaded with blanks. During a delay, he lifted the gun to his head and said, “Can you believe this c***?” before pulling the trigger. The blank cartridge’s wad of paper and a fragment of his skull entered his brain, causing massive bleeding.
He was rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center, where he underwent five hours of emergency surgery. He lost several pints of blood en route. Six days later, he was pronounced dead.
Organ Donation Legacy
Hexum’s organs were donated, saving several lives. His corneas went to a 66-year-old man and a young girl, his skin helped a three-year-old boy with burns, and one kidney saved a five-year-old boy. His heart was given to Michael Washington, a Navy SEAL and Purple Heart recipient.
Washington told West 57th: “Because of this man, I’m alive today, so it becomes real personal.” He added that the Hexum family cared about helping a family and seeing someone survive, giving his two kids the chance to still have a father. In 1985, Washington told the Los Angeles Times: “I know [the Hexum family] wants their son to live on in me. They want me to remember him every day — and I do.”
CBS later posted a tribute: “They say when a star dies, its light continues to shine across the universe for millennia. Jon-Erik Hexum died last month, but he will always leave a bright light in our lives.”
