NM: Hand gun with trigger pulled by Alec Baldwin in rehearsal kills one injures one

[philip964]

https://www.click2houston.com/entertain ... ew-mexico/

Unfortunately it wasn’t Alec Baldwin who was killed.

Western movie. Police are investigating.

Violate the rules, people die.

Update

“Actor Alec Baldwin discharged a "prop firearm" that killed a cinematographer and injured a the director of the movie Rust, being filmed on a set south of Santa Fe, a county sheriff's office spokesman said late Thursday.”

So he’s the killer.

[powerboatr]

https://www.click2houston.com/entertain ... ew-mexico/

Unfortunately it wasn’t Alec Baldwin who was killed.

Western movie. Police are investigating.

Violate the rules, people die.

Update

“Actor Alec Baldwin discharged a "prop firearm" that killed a cinematographer and injured a the director of the movie Rust, being filmed on a set south of Santa Fe, a county sheriff's office spokesman said late Thursday.”

So he’s the killer.

bbq his rear in molasses
but how did a prop gun have real bullets

[03Lightningrocks]

There was an actor back in the eighties that killed himself with a prop gun by putting it to his temple and pulling the trigger. The concussion from the blanks was enough to kill him. I never forgot this story. I could not fathom anyone being so stupid.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0382149/bio

Hexum became bored with the extensive delays and jokingly put a prop .44 magnum revolver to his temple and pulled the trigger. The gun fired, and the wadding from the blank cartridge shattered his skull,

[The Annoyed Man]

Shades of Brandon Lee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Lee#Death

In the scene preceding the fatal scene, the gun was loaded with improperly-made dummy rounds, cartridges from which the special-effects crew had removed the powder charges, so in close-ups the revolver would show normal-looking bullets. However, the crew neglected to remove the primers from the cartridges. At some point before the fatal event, one of the rounds had been fired; although there was no powder charge, the energy from the fired primer was enough to push the bullet into the gun barrel, where it got stuck (a condition known as a squib load). For the fatal scene, which called for the revolver to be fired at Lee from a distance of 3.6–4.5 meters (12–15 ft), the dummy cartridges were replaced with blank rounds, which contained a powder charge and primer, but no bullet, allowing the gun to be fired without the risk of an actual projectile. When the blank round was fired, the bullet lodged in the barrel was propelled forward with almost the same force as if the round were live, and it struck Lee in the abdomen.

The incident with Alec Baldwin could have very easily been something similar.

[03Lightningrocks]

Shades of Brandon Lee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Lee#Death

In the scene preceding the fatal scene, the gun was loaded with improperly-made dummy rounds, cartridges from which the special-effects crew had removed the powder charges, so in close-ups the revolver would show normal-looking bullets. However, the crew neglected to remove the primers from the cartridges. At some point before the fatal event, one of the rounds had been fired; although there was no powder charge, the energy from the fired primer was enough to push the bullet into the gun barrel, where it got stuck (a condition known as a squib load). For the fatal scene, which called for the revolver to be fired at Lee from a distance of 3.6–4.5 meters (12–15 ft), the dummy cartridges were replaced with blank rounds, which contained a powder charge and primer, but no bullet, allowing the gun to be fired without the risk of an actual projectile. When the blank round was fired, the bullet lodged in the barrel was propelled forward with almost the same force as if the round were live, and it struck Lee in the abdomen.

The incident with Alec Baldwin could have very easily been something similar.

I remember this one also. Mostly because it was the son of Bruce Lee.

[carlson1]

Alex Baldwin actually is the one who did the killing.

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/ ... 69ce5.html

[Rafe]

Shades of Brandon Lee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Lee#Death

In the scene preceding the fatal scene, the gun was loaded with improperly-made dummy rounds, cartridges from which the special-effects crew had removed the powder charges, so in close-ups the revolver would show normal-looking bullets. However, the crew neglected to remove the primers from the cartridges. At some point before the fatal event, one of the rounds had been fired; although there was no powder charge, the energy from the fired primer was enough to push the bullet into the gun barrel, where it got stuck (a condition known as a squib load). For the fatal scene, which called for the revolver to be fired at Lee from a distance of 3.6–4.5 meters (12–15 ft), the dummy cartridges were replaced with blank rounds, which contained a powder charge and primer, but no bullet, allowing the gun to be fired without the risk of an actual projectile. When the blank round was fired, the bullet lodged in the barrel was propelled forward with almost the same force as if the round were live, and it struck Lee in the abdomen.

The incident with Alec Baldwin could have very easily been something similar.

Yep; I remember Brandon Lee's death very well. But something about this one isn't really passing the smell test so far. I can think of only one, narrow set of circumstances where this would have been the result of a planned stunt gone wrong, and in that instance the director, Joel Souza, would have to share the blame.

Baldwin shot two people, though it isn't entirely clear yet whether that was with one or multiple rounds. Killed was the director of photography Halyna Hutchins, and wounded was the film's director, Joel Souza (whose injuries were evidently minor: actress Frances Fisher said on Twitter that Souza had texted her he was out of the hospital a short time after he was taken there). It seems almost certain that neither of those would have been acting in (or serving as rehearsal stand-ins) for a scene in the movie. None of the news reports I've seen so far have given any indication that either of the were acting in the film, and on-set those are not the kind of folks you recruit to be stand-ins for rehearsal or blocking; there are other, minor-character actors, extras, production assistants, or gaffers you can pull in for that sort of thing.

The last update I've seen was about an hour ago from Reuters, and neither the hospital, the Santa Fe New Mexico Sheriff's Department, the film production office, nor representatives for Alec Baldwin are yet providing any details at all. The only statement so far was from a Baldwin spokesperson communicated to People magazine saying that it was an "accident" involving the "misfire of a prop gun with blanks." All Rust Movie Productions LLC has said is that the movie's filming had been halted for an "undetermined period."

So far, it seems to come down to one of two possibilities as far as Baldwin's actions are concerned.

First, it could have been an incident during actual filming of a scene, and when the script called for the prop gun to be fired, Baldwin committed at least three rule violations of safe gun handling (though as much I hope Baldwin is at fault, because I absolutely dislike him, the director could have instructed him to "Point the gun right at the camera when you shoot it"; in my experience about 99.9% of people associated with Hollywood barely have a clue which end of a firearm the projectile comes out of).

Second, Alec Baldwin decided to "play around" with his issued prop gun while on set, and would then have probably even said "Pew! Pew!" when he shot Halyna Hutchins.

In the spirit of irony and hypocrisy (how many rabidly anti-gun actors and directors, like Baldwin, continue to make millions of dollars by using firearms in their movies?) Reuters describes the film this way: "Baldwin, 63, is a co-producer of 'Rust', a Western movie set in 1880s Kansas, and plays the eponymous character who is an outlaw grandfather of a 13-year-old boy convicted of an accidental killing." And circa March/April 2018 Alec Baldwin was a cofounder--along with Alyssa Milano and Amy Schumer--of the cutesy-named organization, the No Rifle Association. In their letter to the NRA, cosigned by over 130 "celebrities and activists," the new organization wrote: “We’re going to shine a bright light on what you and your organization do to America. We’re going to make sure the whole world sees your bloody hands. We’re coming for your money. We’re coming for your puppets. And we’re going to win.”

We have literally centuries of combined and active firearms experience on this forum. I wonder how many instances our members have had of accidentally killing someone with a firearm? My bet is zero.

It ain't about the gun, Alec. Isn't and never has been since the invention of the firearm in the late 14th century. It's about the gray matter between the shooter's ears. Whose hands are the ones that are bloody, Alec? And if you're even remotely at fault I doubt criminal charges will ever be filed, but we can sincerely hope that a civil case causes you to open up your checkbook big-time. It can't be a substitute for Halyna Hutchins' life and it won't make up for the seemingly constant failings of that gray matter between your ears, but somebody should at least come for your money.

[Scott B.]

Understandable urge to pile on Baldwin given his history, but my heart goes out to him and the crew members injured and killed. What a terrible thing. The prop master is going to have a lot to answer for.

[OneGun]

What was Baldwin doing pointing a prop gun or any gun for that matter at the director and pulling the trigger? It certainly wasn't in the script.

[dlh]

Hopefully we get more details soon.
I am no expert on Hollywood set safety practices but I smell some negligence here.
Vic Morrow, one of my favorite actors, was tragically killed in a scene gone awry.
If memory serves the criminal charges against those responsible were resolved by
a jury which said not guilty however money was paid out on the civil side to Morrow's
family.
Clint Eastwood was in far more westerns and gun movies than Alec Baldwin. Don't remember
anybody "shot for real" in his movies.

[RoyGBiv]

Information is still sketchy, but, this makes it sound like it was a real live round that got fired from what should have been a prop gun.

https://www.showbiz411.com/2021/10/22/e ... th-victims

An eyewitness on set tells this column that the bullet went straight through the body of DP Halyna Hutchins and into the clavicle of the film’s director Joel Souza.

Very quickly the set was locked down. Ambulance and helicopters arrived. Hutchins and Souza were sent straight to the hospital. Hutchins died en route in a helicopter.

On the ground, Baldwin was in shock but composed. He kept asking why he was handed a “hot gun.” Our eyewitness said Baldwin kept saying “In all my years, I’ve never been handed a hot gun.”

“A hot gun” means a gun with real ammunition.

[Ruark]

Unbelievable that they don't have some protocol for checking ammo before a shooting acene. It would only take a couple of seconds, a quick peek. These people are too stupid, I guess.

[K.Mooneyham]

Obviously, a VERY tragic incident. Sad for anyone to lose their life in such a manner.

That said, IMHO, this is the result of people who are anti-gun treating firearms like toys. They refuse to take firearms seriously, they bash on those who do, and since these antis have such attitudes about firearms, they don't take the time to learn the proper rules for firearms handling. Sheer negligence on the part of multiple people, including Alec Baldwin.

[philip964]

My understanding prop gun people have no real ammunition anywhere. Not on set, not in their shop, etc. to prevent this.

Baldwin referred to the gun he was given as “ hot”.

So the question why did he point it at someone and pull the trigger? Was it during a scene or was he just being a jerk?

Even if it’s a prop, it still a gun and it’s always loaded.

[philip964]

Obviously, a VERY tragic incident. Sad for anyone to lose their life in such a manner.

That said, IMHO, this is the result of people who are anti-gun treating firearms like toys. They refuse to take firearms seriously, they bash on those who do, and since these antis have such attitudes about firearms, they don't take the time to learn the proper rules for firearms handling. Sheer negligence on the part of multiple people, including Alec Baldwin.

I totally agree.