Alec Baldwin's 'prop firearm' kills one, injures another

Sheriff's office: Alec Baldwin discharged prop gun that killed crew member, wounded director

Baldwin is one of the film's star actors and producers. He went to the sheriff's office willingly and provided a statement to investigators, sheriff's office spokesman Juan Ríos said.

www.santafenewmexican.com

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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.

Halyna Hutchins, 42 and the director of photography for the movie, died at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The film's director, Joel Souza, was hospitalized in Santa Fe, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office spokesman Juan Ríos said.

A source closed to the investigation said Baldwin, 63, was questioned by investigators late Thursday and was seen by a New Mexican reporter and photographer in tears.

Investigators are still trying to determine if the incident was an accident, Ríos said. No charges have been filed, and the investigation remains open, Ríos wrote in a news release.

The prop was fired at Bonanza Creek Ranch, where filming was underway, the sheriff's office said in an early evening news release. Baldwin stars in the production.

Hutchins died from her injuries after she was flown to University of New Mexico Hospital, according to the sheriff's office. Souza was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where he is receiving emergency care, the sheriff's office said. Attempts to get comment from Baldwin were unsuccessful.

“We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called ‘Rust’ in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set,” John Lindley, the president of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, said in a statement, as reported by Variety. “The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”

Deputies were investigating how the accident occurred and "what type of projectile was discharged," the sheriff's office said in an earlier news release.

Rust Movie Productions did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. It's described as the story of a 13-year-old boy left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, with New Mexico doubling for Kansas.

Guns firing blanks have been blamed for deaths in past movie productions. Online Hollywood news site Deadline reported, "Actor Jon-Erik Hexum was killed Oct. 18, 1984, on the set of the TV series Cover Up when he accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun loaded with blanks. And in 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, died after he was shot in the head by a gun firing blanks on the set of The Crow. Both incidents were determined to have been accidents."

This is a developing story and will be updated.

 

[SITHRAK!]

WTF "cap and ball" exactly is

Muzzle-load with powder, wadding and shot; each chamber (or rifle) has a 'nipple' that takes a 'cap' (primer). The intermediate stage between flintlocks and self-contained ammo.
EDIT: also has variants where the powder and shot were in a paper wrapper (where the word 'cartridge' comes from).

Cap and Ball firing drill, from Ground Arms:
Hold the paper cartridge with the ball (bullet) downmost: tear the top off the cartridge with your teeth: tip the powder down the barrel and ram; then, pinch the paper around the ball and drop it, torn-side down, onto the rammed powder and ram again (the paper acts as wadding between the powder and ball). Replace the ramrod, bring the weapon across the body (Port Arms). Half-cock the hammer and place a cap over the nipple.
Shoulder the weapon (present arms), bring the hammer to full cock, and fire. Cross-body the weapon (port arms again), half-cock, remove cap from nipple, decock.

Makes the safety and firing drills on a single action pistol look pretty fucking simple in comparison. And pre-cap and ball was even worse.

 

[Absurdist Laughter]

I could kind of understand (though not necessarily excuse). It's easy enough to drop a cartridge into a gun and maybe forget about it, who the hell is going to fuck around with a powder horn unless they intend to immediately use it? Still, Rule #1 and all that. (granted, my knowledge of guns that predate the self-contained cartridge is pretty limited. Never even bothered looking up WTF "cap and ball" exactly is ((separate powder pack and projectile maybe?)) Did that era use individual powder packets or something?)

A fun time if you love the smell of sulfur and don't mind getting smoked out. Side note, if I had to choose between getting shot by a cap and ball and a modern firing pistol, I'd chose the later.

 

[Some JERK]

I'm probably gonna get slapped for this, but what about using a non-firing gun, pantomiming a bullet shot off camera, and painting a muzzle flare in post? I know the kickback probably influences the performance somewhat but if its this risky, why are we still doing it? Is it cheaper to use a blank-loaded gun?

Blanks don't really create much recoil either. There's no "equal but opposite reaction" happening if the shell isn't propelling anything.

 

[Pocket Dragoon]

What even is this posture? Looks like an easy way to fall over.

When I first saw that image, it made my eye & arm twitch uncontrollably; not being able to immediately rectify that situation with forceful dispensation of corrective-training, nearly gave me a stroke.

There's so many things wrong with that picture, it'd be comical if it hadn't directly led to someone's death.

Hannah's own coaching position & stance is too close & just as fucking exceptional; if the shooter had lost their balance, she would've went down too, taking the rifle with them both.

 

[Absurdist Laughter]

When I first saw that image, it made my eye & arm twitch uncontrollably; not being able to immediately rectify that situation with forceful dispensation of corrective-training, nearly gave me a stroke.

There's so many things wrong with that picture, it'd be comical if it hadn't directly led to someone's death.

Hannah's own coaching position & stance is too close & just as fucking exceptional; if the shooter had lost their balance, she would've went down too, taking the rifle with them both.

Oh man, this woman should just continue being an Ethot and not anything serious ever again. Also I got images of this video seeing that stance.

 

[Pocket Dragoon]

Oh man, this woman should just continue being an Ethot and not anything serious ever again. Also I got images of this video seeing that stance.

I'm still searching to see if she was also a SuicideGirl (before getting fat); the extra irony would make me harder than a nail.

 

[SITHRAK!]

I'm still searching to see if she was also a SuicideGirl (before getting fat); the extra irony would make me harder than a nail.

Do they have tags for ‘pig nose’, ‘Antifa haircut’ or ‘dress like an edgy slob?’

I almost herniated myself laughing when I saw her attempts at becoming a fin-domme. If there’s guys looking to get into that they‘re going to be able to do better than her, much, much better. Then I almost herniated again when I saw the adobe and asbestos crap shack she lives in. No wonder she’s seeking empowerment through men’s wallets.

I guess the biggest irony here is that had she actually spent years training as an armorer under her Dad (as she claimed to have done) she could quite possibly have become a competent armorer instead of an impoverished, tubby, loser e-whore who waltzed through recruitment by lying about her background.
She had every chance to succeed but I doubt the effort was really there. She just wanted the accolade and the paycheck without the effort. Typical of a narcissist, as are the endless embarrassing tiktoks and selfies.

 

[MrJokerRager]

The Dog has spoken.

Dog speaks out about Alec Baldwin incident and investigation | Eric Bolling The Balance

Duane Chapman, also known as "Dog The Bounty Hunter," comments on the tragic on-set incident involving a prop gun on the set of a movie fired by Alec Baldwin. - via Eric Bolling The Balance, weekdays ...

odysee.com

It was the armorer being a retard.

 

[Art Kassul]

Rookie armorer on Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ set tied to friend’s fatal crash

The rookie “Rust” armorer was tied to a fatal motorcycle crash that killed a close friend – and her insurance paid the victim’s family $50,000 so she couldn’t be sued over it.

nypost.com

'Rust' Armorer Insurance Paid Out $50k Settlement In Friend's Deadly Motorcycle Crash​

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Reed's friend, Tyler Dyer, was killed in an accident back in August 2020 -- a wreck that also involved her boyfriend, Aaron Butcher. Both men were on motorcycles at the time -- Aaron had borrowed Hannah's.

Tyler's dad tells us all 3 of them had been hanging out at a party prior to the accident -- and Hannah admitted to cops she'd seen both Tyler and Aaron drink 4 to 5 beers each before she opted to give Aaron the keys to her ride.

BTW, Aaron was already on probation for a DUI, and only permitted to operate vehicles with a breathalyzer attached to the ignition ... which Hannah's bike did not have.

According to cops, Tyler was going too fast when he made a turn and crashed his bike into a wall ... while Aaron tried to avoid him, and ended up wrecking Hannah's bike.

Tyler died in the crash, Aaron was arrested for aggravated DUI, and because he was on Hannah's bike ... her insurance company paid Dyer's parents, Joe and Sara, $50,000 in exchange for an agreement not to sue Hannah in the future.

The Dog has spoken.

Dog speaks out about Alec Baldwin incident and investigation | Eric Bolling The Balance

Duane Chapman, also known as "Dog The Bounty Hunter," comments on the tragic on-set incident involving a prop gun on the set of a movie fired by Alec Baldwin. - via Eric Bolling The Balance, weekdays ...

odysee.com

It was the armorer being an exceptional individual.

I almost made a joke about him calling her a serial killer.

 

[Snekposter]

I'm not even sure if that's been confirmed or that it wasnt another case of hot rounds in a """cold""" gun. It's single action. Hammers dont cock themselves, and if it was supposed to be a "hot" gun, they shouldnt be running around with cocked hammers on live chambers anyway until it needs to be fired, no matter how rock-solid the weapon (I'm pretty sure those things dont have "safeties"). These articles for the most part are written by firearm-ignorants and tend to mix terminology. And with all the CYA going on, until a real firearm professional goes on record as saying the gun was fault (and why it was at fault), I'm going with more human error.

I believe it was mentioned that the specific weapon in question had an "iffy" hammer that didn't like to cock properly and a too-soft trigger. It never should have been handled on a set, let alone by a numbskull like Baldwin who couldn't follow the four basic rules of firearms to save someone else's life. Like I said earlier, he was probably trying to pull a cinematic pull and cock the hammer maneuver, but his thumb slipped, hammer didn't wind up fully cocked, and it fell forwards onto a live round.

I'll be honest. I wouldn't have wished this on Alec Baldwin no matter what his politics. Taking a human life changes you in a way you can never go back from, whether on accident or purposefully.

Don't be ridiculous. Alec Baldwin got caught on social media asking a cop what he felt about taking someone's life, and was clearly not concerned with the officer's well-being. Sauce, meet goose. Sauce, meet gander.

When I first saw that image, it made my eye & arm twitch uncontrollably; not being able to immediately rectify that situation with forceful dispensation of corrective-training, nearly gave me a stroke.

There's so many things wrong with that picture, it'd be comical if it hadn't directly led to someone's death.

Hannah's own coaching position & stance is too close & just as fucking exceptional; if the shooter had lost their balance, she would've went down too, taking the rifle with them both.

As much as I like to mock some of the absurd parts of the military, seeing that shit in person would drive me full knife-hands, eyes bugging wider than R. Lee Ermy's with barely-constrained 'tism rage.

 

[Particle Bored]

What even is this posture? Looks like an easy way to fall over.

I just noticed no earpro or proper eyepro on either of them, and she's wearing a face shield over her bandana. "Irresponsible firearm handling? Pffft. Covid, now that's a danger I wont tempt."

Rookie armorer on Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ set tied to friend’s fatal crash

The rookie “Rust” armorer was tied to a fatal motorcycle crash that killed a close friend – and her insurance paid the victim’s family $50,000 so she couldn’t be sued over it.

nypost.com

'Rust' Armorer Insurance Paid Out $50k Settlement In Friend's Deadly Motorcycle Crash​

I almost made a joke about him calling her a serial killer.

Obviously she was being a dumbass in that incident as well, but damn insurance is weird sometimes. "Your drunk kid got on their own bike and smashed their own face into a wall all on their own. Please dont sue the owner of another bike being ridden behind him by another drunk dumbass. Here's $50k."

 

[SITHRAK!]

I figured out how to get Baldwin to kill himself.
You give him a loaded revolver and tell him that to unload it safely, you look straight down the barrel to make sure it has bullets in, then pull the curved magazine-release lever that’s set in the metal loop just in front of the handle.

 

[Snekposter]

I figured out how to get Baldwin to kill himself.
You give him a loaded revolver and tell him that to unload it safely, you look straight down the barrel to make sure it has billets in, then pull the curved magazine-release lever that’s set in the metal loop just in front of the handle.

Na. You tell him the gun's cold and its for a slapstick scene in a comedy.

 

[SITHRAK!]

Na. You tell him the gun's cold and its for a slapstick scene in a comedy.

But we want to make sure he kills himself first, not the craft services guy, the focus puller, two dolly operators, and a passing motorist.

 

[Snekposter]

But we want to make sure he kills himself first, not the craft services guy, the focus puller, two dolly operators, and a passing motorist.

I didn't say the scene wouldn't involve him pointing the barrel right up against his eye like a goof who can't tell if a gun is loaded or not... Maybe he should have tried doing that on set.

 

[A_throwaway_name62919]

Obviously she was being a dumbass in that incident as well, but damn insurance is weird sometimes. "Your drunk kid got on their own bike and smashed their own face into a wall all on their own. Please dont sue the owner of another bike being ridden behind him by another drunk dumbass. Here's $50k."

Without looking into it further than what was copied here, I'm assuming the story leaves something key out. It could be something damning like that they were racing, or it could be something more dumb and mundane, though exactly what it was probably doesn't matter much. All that would be needed for it to be something that would open up the argument "Tyler wouldn't have climbed onto that bike while that drunk if Aaron hadn't been ready to accompany him on another bike, and he was because Hannah provided her bike knowing he was too drunk to drive his own.", particularly if whatever they were doing was Aaron's suggestion. Alternatively Aaron failed to avoid the crashed Tyler, and there was an argument he would have survived the crash if Aaron hadn't hit him. In either case, a $50,000 payout would basically be the insurance company deciding that they'd spend at least that much on lawyers fighting a lawsuit in an attempt to avoid the argued liability, and paying what her plan stipulated in exchange for avoiding a lawsuit would save them time and money.

 

[Some JERK]

I believe it was mentioned that the specific weapon in question had an "iffy" hammer that didn't like to cock properly and a too-soft trigger.

Sounds like the sear was fucked up. A competent armorer wouldn't let anyone handle a firearm with that kind of issue.

 

[Snekposter]

Sounds like the sear was fucked up. A competent armorer wouldn't let anyone handle a firearm with that kind of issue.

Wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. Its been mentioned that the replica model it supposedly is comes with a transfer bar for full hammer safety, but if that got removed improperly it would certainly fuck up the internals like that.

 

[Captain Wetbeard]

Yes to everything except I'm not sure we know he was pointing it at the camera. Last update I've heard/read is he was practicing a cross draw(drawing the gun across his body) while they weren't filming anything (so the dp + director were probably setting up a shot) and the second time he did it, the gun went off hitting 2 people.

Wasn't it a single action revolver? That would mean he had to cock it before it would fire.

 

[Cuckoman]

Sounds like the sear was fucked up. A competent armorer wouldn't let anyone handle a firearm with that kind of issue.

It is just bullshit fantasies made up to try to "it was teh guns fault".
For fucks sake, faggot Baldwin and friends were using the real guns from the set to plink targets for fun and games
because guns are just harmless toys.

These type of guns just don't go off accidentally. He did not check it, he cocked it, he pointed it at the victim (to look cool) and he pulled the trigger.
That is all there is.