Director of photography killed, movie director injured after Alec Baldwin discharged prop firearm on movie set

Stewart McLain · February 13

I don't really think Alec Baldwin owns the lion's share of responsibility for this tragedy - at least in his capacity as an actor. Years ago I was an armorer's assistant on a show. My primary job was take guns away from the talent after a take and inspect them before handing them back for the next one. Didn't matter that I had eyes on them the whole time. That was the job. It was understood that guaranteeing no live rounds were in the chamber was my responsibility.

And you know what the lead did when he had posession of the gun? He fiddled around with it. Practiced little moves with it. Because that's what actors do when they have a prop. They practice movements with them whether it's a gun or a cane or bottle or whatever. It's about knowing the weight and balance of an object so they can use it naturally. It's part of the job.

Inspecting weapons before handing them to actors is the armorer's job. To my mind, the fault lies in the armory department.

Gregory Irwin · February 13

I agree with you about the armorer but Baldwin had a responsibility as an actor and as a producer. He failed at both. There is so much more to this story to understand. Attached is a very in depth investigative report on the events and overall professional misconduct on that production by 60 Minutes Australia. Even though viewer discretion is advised, it offers a greater understanding of what happened that day and the days leading up to the tragedy.

G

Edited February 14 by Gregory Irwin

Phil Rhodes · February 14

I think it's worth raising a point I've been making for years, and which I think applies very much to this situation. It's mentioned in the Australian segment that the producers were trying to do things cheaply.

The producers are always trying to do things cheaply. Yes, it's a matter of degree, but this is normal.

I'll quote my own article on this:

Quote

Most of the people reading this will, thankfully, not have been involved in a fatality or serious injury, but most of us can probably think of problems, whether with safety or technology, whether actually encountered or narrowly avoided, which were caused in by both the behaviour of individuals and the working practices of the film and television industry. It has been suggested that Rust was rushed and underfunded, but then most film and TV work is rushed and underfunded. It's been suggested that Rust's first assistant director was authoritarian and domineering, but then most first assistant directors are authoritarian and domineering. It's been suggested that Rust's armourer was hired as the cheapest insurable option, but then most film crew are hired as the cheapest insurable option. More rules don't help; the rules are adequate. The working environment is not.

Robert Houllahan · February 15

On 10/25/2021 at 1:44 AM, Uli Meyer said:

Why would there be any live rounds in that gun in the first place? Someone loaded real bullets into a prop gun and laid it out on a props trolley? Why have live bullets on a movie set in the first place?

The armorer was new and incompetent.

Evidently they had taken the set guns out to the range which is insane and they had no discipline or method for verifying ammo loaded be it blanks or dummy rounds.

She is the daughter of a well known film armorer but new to actual working on sets as one it seems.

The production seems to have cut all corners at every turn.

Niels kakelveld · February 20

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/20/entertainment/alec-baldwin-rust-charges-reduced/index.html

"The manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin relating to the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of the movie “Rust” have been downgraded by prosecutors in New Mexico, which will reduce the prison time the actor could face for the death of the movie’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

The move comes after attorneys for Baldwin filed a motion this past month to have the firearm enhancement charge dropped, arguing prosecutors were incorrect."

Robin Phillips · February 20

This was to be expected. The DA's office idiotically charged Baldwin under a law that was passed 7 months after the shooting. You cant charge someone ex post facto in the United States. The DA's complaining about "big city lawyers" in their statement is also not confidence inspiring.

It also looks like Baldwins motion to remove the special prosecutor might actually hold water given the prohibition of a legislator also holding position in another branch of government. This is turning into a clown show that could be ripe for appeal if there is a conviction...

edit: I should note when I say ex post facto, Im specifically noting that in the United States you can not be criminally charged under a new law passed after an incident has occurred, which the 5 year firearm enhancement charge was.

Edited February 20 by Robin Phillips