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

archive.md/jNQZQ

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.

 

[Getting tard comed]

Both kind of stunts happen under controlled conditions

What stunt has both the cinematographer and the director lined up so a bullet can go through the former and hit the latter in the clavicle while they aren't filming?

The only, and I mean only, situation I can think of is a rehearsal shot where he has to aim in the direction of the camera and then the question remains why the fuck would you pull the trigger for a rehearsal.

 

[No. 7 cat]

Usually only lib women kill with their abortions, so Alec has now got one up on them. I bet Alec supports hard time for the man who they falsely say killed a black man for complementing his girlfriend or Officer Chauvin.

 

[X Pac Heat]

And if you were to read what I actually wrote you'd see that I'm not ruling out that Baldwin himself fucked up somewhere.
Just that simply aiming his prop in the direction of another person doesn't that make him automatically responsible.

I didn't say you were or were not saying anything holy shit calm down sperg I was mocking Baldwins drunkenness not trying to insult or argue with you.

 

[69ing Ur Mom]

Just that simply aiming his prop in the direction of another person doesn't make him automatically responsible.

It was a gun loaded with bullets. That's not a prop.

IATSE Local 44, which covers prop masters, sent an email to its members early Friday morning that said the gun used in the scene contained “a live round” and the production’s propmaster was not a member of Local 44.

Prop Gun Fired by Alec Baldwin Contained a ‘Live Single Round,’ Says IATSE Local 44

The incident took place October 21 at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County. It is under investigation.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Starscreams Cape]

And if you were to read what I actually wrote you'd see that I'm not ruling out that Baldwin himself fucked up somewhere.
Just that simply aiming his prop in the direction of another person doesn't make him automatically responsible.

You act like Brandon Lee/John Eric Hexum is not immediately thought of anytime a prop gun is on set. You have also stated that if an actor is handed a gun he's good to go. Why is it so hard for you to realize that you only aim the gun and pull the trigger at someone if it is absolutely necessary. In this case, a scene with another actor is permissible. Perils of the grease paint.

In what scenario would anyone feel right about pointing a real (prop) gun at anyone not directly involved on camera and pulling the trigger? You seem to think you're Perry Mason here trying to clear your client's good name. Nigger, we already know he didn't mean to shoot or kill anyone. What we're saying is that if a modicum of common sense had been applied that woman is alive right now.

 

[Clockwork_PurBle]

Alec Baldwin played Bad Orange Man on SNL.

Another soul to the Trump Curse?

 

[Reporterward]

There are about ten useful posts in this thread.
This post is certainly not one of them.
My favorite, so far, are the dudes white-knighting for Baldwin, the Eddie Eagle Gun-safety nannies, and the experts talking about how semi-automatic guns cycle using blank adapters when this is a Western.

 

[CptnSnshn]

Fun .ental exercise. Imagine how much different this article would have been written if the shooter was Adam Baldwin?

It would read like half the posters in this thread.

 

[spinch]

This is a "Hollywood is too dumb to obey the first rule of guns" issue.

You're missing the point though. In theatre and in film you have to point guns at people to make the fucking film. In this case it seems like Alec likely wasn't even pointing it at another actor, but at the camera or just past another actor. When you're on a film set if it's any kind of closed set or close up shot, you're SURROUNDED by people on all sides. People walking back and forth to different parts of the set, different vendors, etc. Even if you're aiming away from everyone there's a chance someone could step in front of you.

You have to break the rules and that's why there's a chain of command to ensure gun safety when the actors can't

 

[byuu]

What stunt has both the cinematographer and the director lined up so a bullet can go through the former and hit the latter in the clavicle while they aren't filming?

Obviously something was fucked up in this instance since - you know - someone died.
But since when does an actor decide where the crew is standing?

It was a gun loaded with bullets. That's not a prop.

Anything can be a prop.

You act like Brandon Lee/John Eric Hexum is not immediately thought of anytime a prop gun is on set.

It is such a common thing to do in movies. I very much doubt everyone immediately thinks of the Crow when they're handed a prop gun. Baldwin must have shot hundreds of blanks in his career (there's a sex joke in there somewhere). Does everyone immediately think Twilight Zone with any stunt involving a helicopter?

What we're saying is that a modicum of if a common sense had been applied that woman is alive right now.

I'm assuming the scene required him to shoot in the direction of the camera. The cinematographer and director usually needs to be at that area to get the shot right. And if there's something stuck at the end of the barrel then it's a pure crapshoot where it lands.
But sure I wasn't there. Maybe Baldwin told her to come closer and directly stare down the barrel or something.

 

[We All Came For CWC]

Aren't blank-firing prop guns made to accommodate a specific caliber to prevent this sort of mix up? I believe some are fitted to only accept 8mm blank ammunition. Also, when scenes are filmed with blanks being fired at the camera, isn't there usually a clear plexiglass barrier between the camera and the actor (not that it would have helped much in a dead-on shot with a live round)?

Seems like either Baldwin, the armourer, or both of them, neglected to follow at least two of the basic rules of gun safety, namely 1) Treat every gun, no matter what state it is in, as if it is loaded and capable of firing, and 2) Know exactly what your target is, as well as what lies beyond it.

 

[Pocket Dragoon]

.... and the experts talking about how semi-automatic guns cycle using blank adapters when this is a Western.

And yet we specifically mentioned that revolvers don't need BFAs, in the context of this film, so a live round could be loaded unless it was specifically modified otherwise. Did you get that far, or did your eyes just glaze over?

 

[Niggernerd]

All jokes aside, that's a pretty shitty thing to have weighing on your conscience for the rest of your life. As much as I don't like Baldwin, nobody should have to go through something like that.

Didn't the faggot call evil fag dick Cheney out for doing the same thing?
Sounds like Karma came around

 

[Reporterward]

And yet we specifically mentioned that revolvers don't need BFAs, in the context of this film, so a live round could be loaded unless it was specifically modified otherwise. Did you get that far, or did your eyes just glaze over?

Tell it to the people in the thread talking about blank adapters then.
Or did your eyes glaze over when your thumb pounded the reply button?

 

[Xarpho]

He's not a conservative, his people, the media, everyone who matters, aren't going to jettison him for optics. He'll be fine.

They're not exactly lining up to defend his honor a la Jussie Smollet, and even if they're on the same side politically it's just as likely that they'll bury him for petty reasons.

This thread is a trashfire so you'll just have to wait out a few weeks to see what shakes out.

 

[Snekposter]

Most prop guns used for film are just real guns, and they use a 'blank'. A blank is essentially a bullet without the tip so that only the gunpowder pops. You get the nice recoil and the flash of the gunpowder igniting, but usually nothing flies out of the barrel.

Defective blanks have been known to maim/kill but blanks have generally gotten safer over the years. Using CGI is a good option as well, but takes away some realism, so it makes sense they were using a real gun for a western.

You also wind up with utter hilarity sometimes when using live blanks as opposed to CGI. There's a scene in Killing Them Softly where they get up close and personal on the brass ejecting from the gun during a murder scene... and you can see the crimp marks on the tips of the cartridges.

As to the actual shooting itself... shitshow all around, and I fully believe given Baldwin's past behavior the man would do something dumb-as-fuck like point a gun right at a cameraman for dramatic effect.

 

[SilenceIsViolence]

Leaked shot from the incident:

 

[Just A Butt]

guys i heard that Alec Baldwin is really a robot and he's just a prototype of one they plan on mass producing soon and it was programmed to maintain the secret at any cost and that poor lady was just really in the wrong place at the wrong time and she saw his robo penis and so he did what he did but the government is covering it up because the world isn't ready to deal with the concept of robots with penises.

 

[Art Kassul]

I remember TMZ and the paparazzi almost pushing him to suicide a decade ago over a previous controversy in the 2000s.

Alec Baldwin because he did a mean impression of their Lord and Saviour, Donald Trump.

Alec Baldwin, like most hollywood wackjobs, was an insufferable prick long before Trump. That such a pathetic piece of the American propaganda furniture suffers should be celebrated, especially as he harms another of his ilk. Let these whores choke on their tears and bend over for as deep and wide of a legal fucking as can possibly wrangled.

Crying for these scum is the ultra mega gay. A journalist/actor/politician gets trampled on by one of their own? That is beautiful. Let that trend continue, and every single day.

don't go complaining the next time some leftoid celebrates

Loves me friends, hates me enemies. Simple peasy.

 

[Just A Butt]

Alec Baldwin, like most hollywood wackjobs, was an insufferable prick long before Trump.

he was really funny on 30 Rock tho