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

[neesaki]

In the Dean Cain video I linked he talked about using rubber/fake guns during rehearsals. If they had done that in this case no one would have died or been injured. JMO.

And also about using some kind of safety shield for those behind the camera. Was it Krylon?

 

[Satchie]

Live ammo and blanks don't look the same. It's not a matter of a labeled box, I wouldn't think.

If I had to guess where the live round came from ... we have a big ol' ranch we're filming on and a really cool vintage single action colt revolver. Let's put a couple cans up on the fence post and see how well she shoots. So we do a little target practice. Maybe we did it when other people weren't around. Maybe we think we spent all the rounds. Who knows. Then the layers of safety checks failed as nobody, from the people target practicing to the armorer to the AD to the actor, actually looked at that weapon to make sure it was clear. Sloppy and sad. I'll be interested to hear what the other victim has to say....

Then I'll bet someone/some people know exactly how the ammo got there, and what will be interesting is whether they confess. And if they plead: "but the Armorer was supposed to check", that's like saying, sure I saw that kid drowning but the lifeguard is supposed to rescue them, not me!

 

[Dotta]

Let's say that the film industry changes the practice of using prop guns that can fire live ammunition and goes to CGI instead. That would solve this one problem.

Obviously safety protocols were not followed on this set. What about all of the people injured or killed on movie sets that didn't involve prop guns? Should there be more emphasis on closely following all safety protocols and not just ones related to prop guns?

Deaths and injuries to film and TV workers, by the numbers


https://apnews.com/article/1c3b5d70ff544a1bbd2643f7ce26e5d1

I think Actors' Unions can press for stricter safety measures, no?
Actors can follow the example of Police Unions - they sure fight for their members.

 

[happyday]

The atmosphere on the set was toxic it seems.
Long hours, constant rush, yelling assistant director, etc.
Why was he yelling at staff?
I cant imagine my boss shouting at me!
Isnt it mobbing??
Well, one must be really determined to stay in this kind of career to endure such treatment
PS
Didnt the same assistant director work on set with B Lee??

Yeah you don’t want to work on a film set if you don’t want to get yelled at. AD’s are kinda notorious for yelling and being mean. I think it’s because they are just SO stressed out. When everything doesn’t go perfectly they get yelled at by the director. Screw ups mean delays and delays =$$$. Time is money and it stresses everyone out!

 

[Dotta]

Yeah you don’t want to work on a film set if you don’t want to get yelled at. AD’s are kinda notorious for yelling and being mean. I think it’s because they are just SO stressed out. When everything doesn’t go perfectly they get yelled at by the director. Screw ups mean delays and delays =$$$. Time is money and it stresses everyone out!

I understand - but isnt it a straight way to nervous breakdown?
Well, one must have a skin of a rhino to put up with it I guess.

 

[Trebor5591]

The police should ensure that criminal charges should be brought on the persson

For sure.
This whole story is crazy. I thought there was lots of money in the entertainment industry and I can’t believe the cost cutting here. Disgusting for crew to not be put into a basic hotel room in Santa Fe and having to sleep in a car! Wow.

Agree 100%!

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

In the Dean Cain video I linked he talked about using rubber/fake guns during rehearsals. If they had done that in this case no one would have died or been injured. JMO.

99% of the time I disagree with FOX News. This time he is spot on.

 

[Trebor5591]

Then I'll bet someone/some people know exactly how the ammo got there, and what will be interesting is whether they confess. !

You are right. Someone does indeed.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

They absolutely can make realistic repos that don't have the ability to fire a thing.

It's not that hard and is a massive oversight on both the part of the armorer and literally everyone on the crew that had any kind of decision making power.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

I think Actors' Unions can press for stricter safety measures, no?
Actors can follow the example of Police Unions - they surely fight for their members.

They absolutely can, but unfortunately a lot of these actors unions are so widespread that there is tons of bureaucracy they have to wrestle through in order to get even a small change made.

 

[Dotta]

They absolutely can, but unfortunately a lot of these actors unions are so widespread that there is tons of bureaucracy they have to wrestle through in order to get even a small change made.

A strong and United Union is a blessing for workers. I know b/c Teachers' Union in my country helps a lot

 

[Betty P]

I think this is the relevant point. Who brought real bullets onto the set? Why would anybody do that?

So was this an accident?
-somehow there's a box of live bullets sitting there and the label came off the box?
-a box of blank bullets was purchased or made by hand and some live ones got mixed in?
- someone took the gun off set and used real bullets, forgetting to take them out before putting the gun back?

Or

Was this deliberate sabotage by a crew member?

Actually, the investigation is still ongoing. LE hasn't made public the results of their testing. It could have been "live" in movie terminology, which means a "blank" or "live" in real life terms. All unknown at this time.

 

[Satchie]

They absolutely can, but unfortunately a lot of these actors unions are so widespread that there is tons of bureaucracy they have to wrestle through in order to get even a small change made.

I also think that there's a lot more aspiring actors than aspiring police officers. If someone is super picky about working conditions, well there's plenty of others eager to replace them.

However, I think this case is about the crew, not the actors. I've got this weird feeling it must be common knowledge in the film world that a disgruntled or incompetent crew member might load a prop gun with real bullets, and that's why there's so much paranoia about safety checks and features.

Imagine a kitchen crew where there were multiple checks to ensure no one put arsenic in the chef's salt cellar.

 

[Gardenista]

Actually, the investigation is still ongoing. LE hasn't made public the results of their testing. It could have been "live" in movie terminology, which means a "blank" or "live" in real life terms. All unknown at this time.

Can a blank penetrate one person and go into another person?

 

[Dotta]

I also think that there's a lot more aspiring actors than aspiring police officers. If someone is super picky about working conditions, well there's plenty of others eager to replace them.

However, I think this case is about the crew, not the actors. I've got this weird feeling it must be common knowledge in the film world that a disgruntled or incompetent crew member might load a prop gun with real bullets, and that's why there's so much paranoia about safety checks and features.

Imagine a kitchen crew where there were multiple checks to ensure no one put arsenic in the chef's salt cellar.

By this Union I mean all staff (actors, crew) working in entertainment industry

 

[Trebor5591]

Already read or heard most of what's in the article, but here is some info new to me

"But a production source told The Daily Beast that Gutierrez-Reed didn’t “quadruple check” to make sure the firearm was safe before letting Halls select it from the cart, who then deemed it safe for Baldwin to use.

​

​

This sound like useless hyperbole. I have some experience with firearms, in the military and in civilian life. I have never, ever, heard of requirements that a weapon be standardly “quadruple checked”, or checked 4 times. The notion is ridiculous, IMO.

 

[GatorFL]

Can a blank penetrate one person and go into another person?

Not a chance.

 

[Trebor5591]

Can a blank penetrate one person and go into another person?

No. A blank does not have a projectile to penetrate anything. It has some paper wadding which is packed onto the powder in a cartridge, to hold it in place. The metal of the cartridge is then "crimped" to hold the whole thing together. When a blank is discharged, the only thing that flies out is a lot of gas and the paper wadding, which might injure someone if it happens to strike them in the eye, but that's about all.

 

[mickey2942]

Where I work, there are specific processes, checks, double checks, and protocols for security purposes. Everything is clearly documented with checks, that need to be signed off, by the person who did an action, and who checked and verified the process was completed. With often "spot" checks by supervision.

Sounds like this place was very lax on any type of firearms security and checks.

 

[Marysmith]

I worked at this hospital where we had no funding and the staffing was abysmal and we got even more staff cut. One of the new protocols initiated to “help” the nurses was that insulin no longer needed to be double checked with another nurse. Well guess what happened?! A huge increase in insulin errors - and those were just the ones reported and/or caught. You rely on others to do things correctly, even under stress and in less than ideal conditions, with less people on hand maybe?, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
That hospital’s staffing is even worse now and they still are not double checking insulin but a lot of the nurses just do so themselves anyways.
No reflection on anyone… just this was such bad conditions with a deadly weapon.