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

  • 🐕 I am attempting to get the site runnning as fast as possible. If you are experiencing slow page load times, please report it.

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.
 
Screenshot_20220426-145511_DuckDuckGo.jpgFRSzGtQXwAAI2fv.jpg
 
I mean I couldn’t hear shit in the video, but finger was clearly on the trigger. Wish there was audio to confirm that the shot was made when he lifted the gun up.
That wasn't a video of the shot, just another take from his rehearsing. Alec claimed the scene didn't even call for having his finger on the trigger, and this video disputes that.
 
Gee yeah there's no way the trigger could have been pulled when your finger is blatantly on it while you pull the gun out of your shirt and pull the hammer back.
Well it’s now over six months since the shooting and still no fucking charges. Someone needs to fire the fucking dyke DA and bring in a Mexican scab who’ll do the job in a third of the time at a quarter of the price.
If the local Soros DA declines to file any charges despite all the evidence couldn't a special prosecutor be appointed like when that gay faggot who lied about being hate crime'd initially had his charges dropped? Yeah yeah optimistic
 
I’m missing something here and I honestly don’t understand the take that this is primarily Baldwin’s responsibility. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t he handed the gun by the person on set with the specific job of making sure that firearms aren’t loaded with real bullets? Basic gun safety does say to always treat a gun like it’s loaded, but this seems like an exception where production is paying someone for that to be basically their only job.

If it’s all just laughing at an anti-gun guy who killed someone, I get it but is that it?
 
I’m missing something here and I honestly don’t understand the take that this is primarily Baldwin’s responsibility. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t he handed the gun by the person on set with the specific job of making sure that firearms aren’t loaded with real bullets? Basic gun safety does say to always treat a gun like it’s loaded, but this seems like an exception where production is paying someone for that to be basically their only job.

If it’s all just laughing at an anti-gun guy who killed someone, I get it but is that it?
Person holding the gun has final responsibility with whatever happens with it. Ironically, if Baldwin wasn't so fervently anti-2A and knew just the basics of gun safety, this poor lady would still be alive.

Sure, other people fucked up on set and they should all be held liable along with Baldwin.
 
I’m missing something here and I honestly don’t understand the take that this is primarily Baldwin’s responsibility. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t he handed the gun by the person on set with the specific job of making sure that firearms aren’t loaded with real bullets? Basic gun safety does say to always treat a gun like it’s loaded, but this seems like an exception where production is paying someone for that to be basically their only job.

If it’s all just laughing at an anti-gun guy who killed someone, I get it but is that it?
You should read the whole thread, this has been discussed many times.
Baldwin is intimately familiar with CA gun safety protocols on-set, the first of which (brought in after Brandon Lee’s death) is that a firearm is never to be pointed at another person.
Protocols such as these (along with competent armorers) increase the cost of making movies. So Baldwin moved his little clown show with it’s lax gun safety and completely incompetent armorer interstate.
In short, as a producer, he sidestepped safety regulations to save money, and as an actor he ignored safety protocols that would have been drummed into him on every fucking movie involving guns that he made for the last 20 years.
The big question is, if the scene required him to point the pistol at his own head and pull the trigger, would he have done it without double-checking whether it was loaded?
 
Baldwin is intimately familiar with CA gun safety protocols on-set, the first of which (brought in after Brandon Lee’s death) is that a firearm is never to be pointed at another person.

This is incorrect according to this:


Which is California safety protocol, and was cited by New Mexico OSHA.



Edit: ignore the below, I’m a retard.

I also interpret it as saying the actor isn’t responsible unless they are “licensed or experienced”. Nowhere do I see it say the actor is expected or required to be experienced.


When I say “isn’t responsible” I mean isn’t responsible for checking whether it’s loaded with what the armorer says it is (or isn’t).
 
Last edited:
This is incorrect according to this:


Which is California safety protocol, and was cited by New Mexico OSHA.
That document has a few things stand out right away:
  • BLANKS CAN KILL. TREAT ALL FIREARMS AS THOUGH THEY ARE LOADED.
  • No one shall be issued a firearm until he or she is trained in safe handling, safe use, the safety lock, and proper firing procedures.
  • Before any use of a firearm in a rehearsal and/or on-camera sequence or off-camera use, all persons involved must be thoroughly briefed at an on-site SAFETY MEETING where the firearms will be used. This meeting shall include an “on-site walk through” and/or “dry-run” with the Property Master (or, in his/her absence, the weapons handler and/or other appropriate personnel determined by the locality or the needs of the production), designated production representative, and anyone that will be using and/or handling a firearm. An understanding of the intended action, possible deviations, plans to abort, emergency procedures, and chain of command should be made clear.
  • Refrain from pointing a firearm at anyone, including yourself. If it is absolutely necessary to do so on camera, consult the Property Master (or, in his/her absence, the weapons handler and/or other appropriate personnel determined by the locality or the needs of the production) or other safety representative, such as the First A.D./Stage Manager. Remember that any object at which you point a firearm could be destroyed.
  • NEVER place your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Keep your finger alongside the firearm and off the trigger.
  • The Property Master (or, in his/her absence, the weapons handler and/or other appropriate personnel determined by the locality or the needs of the production) will be the individual acting in the interest of the Producer for obtaining, maintaining and handling all firearms for the production.
  • The Property Master (or, in his/her absence, a weapons handler and/or other appropriate personnel determined by the locality or the needs of the production) is responsible for the following: 18. The utilization of replica or rubber prop guns whenever possible.
Seems pretty clear that Baldwin breached a number of these rules, as did the armorer "acting in (his) interest" as producer.
You will note the phrase "If it is absolutely necessary to do so on camera" which indicates that yes, you can do this if it is necessary for a scene, but otherwise it's a no-no.
Baldwin should have been using a replica weapon; failing that he should have checked to ensure the real weapon he had been issued was not loaded as per the second dot point above. Knowing how to check whether a firearm is loaded or unloaded is a basic protocol in both 'safe handling' and 'safe use'.

I also interpret it as saying the actor isn’t responsible unless they are “licensed or experienced”. Nowhere do I see it say the actor is expected or required to be experienced.
Edit: when I say “isn’t responsible” I mean isn’t responsible for checking whether it’s loaded with what the armorer says it is (or isn’t).
It's part of the basic safety protocol to ensure actors are familiar enough with the firearms they're issued to not be a danger to self or others.
Others in this thread have argued that Baldwin is not responsible because he'd been told by an intermediary that the weapon was safe.
This does not absolve him of negligence when the #1 rule of firearms handling is 'treat all weapons as loaded'.
 
The point is it’s not “never”. It happens all the time. That’s why there’s a protocol for it.
Congrats, you picked out one word, badly chosen due to distractions, well done.
You should be so lucky as to be able to write at the postgrad level when you have the Panda Express squirts.
 
Others in this thread have argued that Baldwin is not responsible because he'd been told by an intermediary that the weapon was safe.
From the point of view of New Mexico law, they're wrong. Andrew Branca, an attorney who specialises in use-of-force law did a review of the applicable state law, jury instructions, and most interestingly the current precedential case State vs Gilliam. The relevant part of the state supreme court ruling in that case:
It could have made no difference to the trial of a charge of involuntary manslaughter as to who loaded the gun … . All that it is necessary to establish for involuntary manslaughter by the use of a loaded firearm is that a defendant had in his hands a gun which at some time had been loaded and that he handled it … without due caution and circumspection and that death resulted.
Seems pretty clear that a dude who bitches endlessly about the 2A, and gun safety, is aware of their inherent danger, and given he's worked on a number of movies where he handles guns he should be well aware of both the general rules of gun safety, and movie specific shit. Given all that, sticking your finger anywhere near the trigger, and pulling back the hammer even when you don't need to, seems to be the very definition of without due caution and circumspection
 
There is no exception to that rule.

Person holding the gun has final responsibility with whatever happens with it. Ironically, if Baldwin wasn't so fervently anti-2A and knew just the basics of gun safety, this poor lady would still be alive.

Sure, other people fucked up on set and they should all be held liable along with Baldwin.

You should read the whole thread, this has been discussed many times.
Baldwin is intimately familiar with CA gun safety protocols on-set, the first of which (brought in after Brandon Lee’s death) is that a firearm is never to be pointed at another person.
Protocols such as these (along with competent armorers) increase the cost of making movies. So Baldwin moved his little clown show with it’s lax gun safety and completely incompetent armorer interstate.
In short, as a producer, he sidestepped safety regulations to save money, and as an actor he ignored safety protocols that would have been drummed into him on every fucking movie involving guns that he made for the last 20 years.
The big question is, if the scene required him to point the pistol at his own head and pull the trigger, would he have done it without double-checking whether it was loaded?
Okay, I see your points. The comparison to if it was pointed at himself is especially persuasive.

I still personally believe that most of the blame falls on those tasked with ensuring an environment where gun safety rules can be broken as it’s their specific responsibility on set. But, these are good points to put Bladwin more at fault
 
I still personally believe that most of the blame falls on those tasked with ensuring an environment where gun safety rules can be broken as it’s their specific responsibility on set.
That's the beauty of blame, it's not an all or nothing proposition, there's plenty to go around. IMO, prettymuch everyone involved this entire shitshow deserves at least some blame, and should be punished accordingly.
 
Back