Alec Baldwin fired prop gun, killing 1 on movie set, Oct 2021

[Betty P]

Surely only qualified gun handlers like ex military or police should be armourers, is there any kind of other formal qualification one can obtain that would be a decent level? I just can’t get over the fact they were using a gun meant for a scene for target practice .. sounds like the whole set was shambles.

Those regulations probably don't apply when a movie is being filmed in a state without those kind of laws.

 

[Marysmith]

But why is he behaving this way???
Im shocked ppl want to work with him!
I think he is finished now.

Personally I have worked with some really wild behaviour… people get away with a lot in lots of industries.

 

[shotgun09]

Does anyone know if there were children/minors on set during the incident? I know there was one child actor listed as starring in the movie, but I do not know if he was present at the time.

Also, has the second victim who was shot spoken out to any media regarding this? How is he? Is he still in hospital?

 

[Marysmith]

Does anyone know if there were children/minors on set during the incident? I know there was one child actor listed as starring in the movie, but I do not know if he was present at the time.

Also, has the second victim who was shot spoken out to any media regarding this? How is he? Is he still in hospital?

I don’t know about the 1st question but the director has spoken out:
Joel Souza, filmmaker wounded in Alec Baldwin gun incident, 'gutted' at friend's death

 

[WillieMac]

I'm wondering about he terms "Hot gun" & "Cold gun". This article states that a Cold Gun would have no ammo of any sort in it:

"Baldwin’s stunt double accidentally fired two rounds Saturday after being told that the gun was “cold” — lingo for a weapon that doesn’t have any ammunition, including blanks — two crew members who witnessed the episode told the Los Angeles Times."

So if a cold gun shouldn't contain a blank round, does that mean that a gun with a blank round would be considered "Hot"? Or is there another term - like say maybe "warm"?

This article includes comments indicating that, after the shooting, AB had asked who gave him a Hot Gun & that,

"In all my years, I’ve never been handed a hot gun," he was heard saying.

So if a gun loaded with a blank is NOT a Cold gun, does that mean a gun loaded with a blank is a Hot gun? And if it is a Hot gun, and if AB has "never been handed a Hot gun" in all his years, does that mean that he's never actually held a gun containing a blank round in all of his years of acting? Or is there some confusion around these terms?

The first article I linked to does also include a statement that a gun containing a blank round is said to be "live" though as well.

I understand that it is believed that this gun had a live round in it that included a non-blank round with a projectile. But I find it hard to believe that anyone could confuse a Cold gun (supposedly with absolutely no sort of round in the gun) with one that held either a fully live round or a blank live round when the gun was a revolver with the cylinders clearly visible at a simple glance. Could they have thought that the gun held a dummy round with no gun powder of any sort which would then qualify it as being a Cold gun?

There are very very clear reasons that everyone knows (or *should* know) that a gun should NEVER be pointed at anyone regardless of its status of being hot, cold, live, or prop. You just do not do that.

 

[tambo]

Alec Baldwin Attends Private Memorial For Late Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Following Deadly On-Set Accident

 

[Dotta]

Alec Baldwin's Rust film 'will NEVER be finished' after shooting leaves cinematographer dead | Daily Mail Online

 

[whitelilac]

Father of late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins says he doesn't blame actor Alec Baldwin, who fired a prop gun on-set that killed Hutchins, for his daughter's death.

Anatoly Androsovych, who is ex-military in Ukraine, instead blamed the film's prop team for handing Baldwin a dangerous loaded weapon...
Father of cinematographer killed in 'Rust' prop-gun accident places blame not on Alec Baldwin, but on "Rust" prop team
My heart goes out to this family.

 

[Luna20]

As per evening news Halls has not responded to request for comments.

 

[happyday]

That woman handling the guns was totally unqualified.


BBM

I'm not sure it's all the actor or director's need for "fun". In fact, the detailed, time consuming process of using a real weapon and blanks seems a pain in the neck. Not all actors are adrenaline junkies.

JMO, it's more about how directors and execs feel the need to stay on the edge in a highly competitive industry driven by consumers who want more action, more blood, more explosions, etc.

Maybe the violent westerns and action viewing market likes "realism" more than, say, the fans of Superhero and Sci-Fi movies who like CGI. Sounds like it's time for the industry to tell that market segment they'll have to get used to CGI.

JMO

I think this is exactly it. For a western they might have wanted more realism. And you can get better, more authentic reactions from the actors when a real weapon with real time sound is used. Usually that would be a director’s decision.

It’s interesting because the director here was also a victim. On all of the sets I was on over the years the director was “the boss” of the set. Not an actor who is also a producer, not the AD or PA’s or anyone else. The director sets the tone and the rules. No one is talking much about what the director’s style is and how it might possibly have contributed to the environment on this set.

 

[shotgun09]

As per evening news Halls has not responded to request for comments.

Has the news requested comments from Baldwin?
I don't watch any MSM news, so I seriously wonder if that has happened.
I know AB has put out 'tweets'....but I have not heard of any comments coming from him, after a media request.

 

[DI_Isokawa]

I'm wondering about he terms "Hot gun" & "Cold gun". This article states that a Cold Gun would have no ammo of any sort in it:
So if a cold gun shouldn't contain a blank round, does that mean that a gun with a blank round would be considered "Hot"? Or is there another term - like say maybe "warm"?

This article includes comments indicating that, after the shooting, AB had asked who gave him a Hot Gun & that,

So if a gun loaded with a blank is NOT a Cold gun, does that mean a gun loaded with a blank is a Hot gun? And if it is a Hot gun, and if AB has "never been handed a Hot gun" in all his years, does that mean that he's never actually held a gun containing a blank round in all of his years of acting? Or is there some confusion around these terms?

The first article I linked to does also include a statement that a gun containing a blank round is said to be "live" though as well.

I understand that it is believed that this gun had a live round in it that included a non-blank round with a projectile. But I find it hard to believe that anyone could confuse a Cold gun (supposedly with absolutely no sort of round in the gun) with one that held either a fully live round or a blank live round when the gun was a revolver with the cylinders clearly visible at a simple glance. Could they have thought that the gun held a dummy round with no gun powder of any sort which would then qualify it as being a Cold gun?

There are very very clear reasons that everyone knows (or *should* know) that a gun should NEVER be pointed at anyone regardless of its status of being hot, cold, live, or prop. You just do not do that.

We don't know what the make and model of the revolver was. There were 1880 era revolvers (and modern replicas) that loaded through a "side gate" and had a fixed cylinder. Determining if one such weapon is loaded is more complicated than a single glance. Again, we can only know this when the information on the firearm in question is released.

 

[Luna20]

Has the news requested comments from Baldwin?
I don't watch any MSM news, so I seriously wonder if that has happened.
I know AB has put out 'tweets'....but I have not heard of any comments coming from him, after a media request.

They didn’t say but most likely because because AB has been vocal. It sounded as though various orgs have reached out for Halls comments and thus far there has been none.

ETA-typo

 

[Dotta]

They didn’t say but most likely because because AB has been vocal. It sounded as though various orgs have reached out for Halls comments and thus far there has been none.

ETA-typo

Maybe his lawyer advised him not to talk.

 

[Luna20]

I think this is exactly it. For a western they might have wanted more realism. And you can get better, more authentic reactions from the actors when a real weapon with real time sound is used. Usually that would be a director’s decision.

It’s interesting because the director here was also a victim. On all of the sets I was on over the years the director was “the boss” of the set. Not an actor who is also a producer, not the AD or PA’s or anyone else. The director sets the tone and the rules. No one is talking much about what the director’s style is and how it might possibly have contributed to the environment on this set.

Thanks for bringing this up. I was curious about the directors overall knowledge and approval of those below him in the chain of command. Will he be held accountable for hiring him?

 

[happyday]

I posted earlier about how nobody was charged in the accidental death of Brandon Lee, but I get the feeling there’s A LOT on this set that was wrong. It’s almost like how could something like this not have happened eventually? I won’t be surprised if there are criminal charges somewhere, I just don’t know who yet.

 

[Luna20]

I posted earlier about how nobody was charged in the accidental death of Brandon Lee, but I get the feeling there’s A LOT on this set that was wrong. It’s almost like how could something like this not have happened eventually? I won’t be surprised if there are criminal charges somewhere, I just don’t know who yet.

Based on the complaints from the past it appears charges will be difficult to escape here.

 

[Cryptic]

But that's not "fun." If you want to pretend for a month that you're a real gunslinger, you want a vintage Colt .45...

Though it is possible that Baldwin is of the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy regarding guns, his background suggests that he is not likely to have any deep seated fantasies about being a real gunfighter.

Alec Baldwin has frequently spoken out against NRA, guns rights activists

For better or for worse, live ammunition and real fire arms appear to be fairly common on US movie sets. The crew members that departed did not do so because they found the use of real guns and live ammunition to be dangerously novel. Rather, they left due to declining living conditions and a belief that the particular set was not handling weapons safely.

Likewise, I think there is a good chance that the vintage Colt was neither vintage, nor truly a Colt. Two Italian companies make modern reproductions of Old West Colts, Winchesters, Remmingtons etc.

Quality Replica Guns of the Old West | Uberti

I knew an Old West reenactor who referred to his Italian reproductions as a "Winchester" or a "Colt" out of habit and that the guns were very good replicas. I would not be surprised if actors do the same.

 

[Betty P]

I think this is exactly it. For a western they might have wanted more realism. And you can get better, more authentic reactions from the actors when a real weapon with real time sound is used. Usually that would be a director’s decision.

It’s interesting because the director here was also a victim. On all of the sets I was on over the years the director was “the boss” of the set. Not an actor who is also a producer, not the AD or PA’s or anyone else. The director sets the tone and the rules. No one is talking much about what the director’s style is and how it might possibly have contributed to the environment on this set.

Thank you so much. That's very helpful information from someone who has worked in the field. Most of us, especially here at Websleuths, don't have that knowledge or experience. The only book I've read written by a director is one with King Vidor. I was under the impression the director would have a lot to say about what was going on, how scenes were shot, what the actors are doing, etc.

 

[Only4Justice]

In the end, no matter the outcome, AB has to live with the fact he killed someone. Bottom line for him IMO.