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

[book-thinker]

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.

Unfortunately the crews members are non -union. This being a low budget production corners were cut to save money. Horrible what happened to this young lady.
Can’t believe live rounds were on the set.

I’m a military veteran the only time live rounds were handed out was during fire practice at the firing range. The military armory knew how many rounds were given out . We would check in each rifle after it’s use.

 

[Marysmith]

Alec Baldwin shouted 'why was I handed a hot gun' after shooting crewmember
IMO the one most culpable is the AD that handed over and announced that the gun was “cold”.

 

[whitelilac]

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.

I'd like to understand.

"A “hot gun” is when a weapon contains live ammunition."

"An eyewitness told the outlet the bullet that discharged from the prop gun went straight through the body of mother-of-one Hutchins, who died on the way to hospital. Filmmaker Souza was injured when the bullet hit his clavicle."

Yet...."..a spokesperson for the actor said the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks."

So was it an actual bullet, and not a blank?

Alec Baldwin shouted 'why was I handed a hot gun' after shooting crewmember

 

[Trebor5591]

I'd like to understand.

"A “hot gun” is when a weapon contains live ammunition."

"An eyewitness told the outlet the bullet that discharged from the prop gun went straight through the body of mother-of-one Hutchins, who died on the way to hospital. Filmmaker Souza was injured when the bullet hit his clavicle."

Yet...."..a spokesperson for the actor said the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks."

So was it an actual bullet, and not a blank?

Alec Baldwin shouted 'why was I handed a hot gun' after shooting crewmember

I don't think there has been an announcement yet, but in my opinion, there must have been one or more real bullets in that revolver--not blanks, when AB received the revolver from the Assistant Director. That's why I am expecting some sort of criminal charges here, if only negligent homicide, against the individual who left real bullets in that revolver. A person is dead because of someone's carelessness, and another is wounded.

 

[Marysmith]

I'd like to understand.

"A “hot gun” is when a weapon contains live ammunition."

"An eyewitness told the outlet the bullet that discharged from the prop gun went straight through the body of mother-of-one Hutchins, who died on the way to hospital. Filmmaker Souza was injured when the bullet hit his clavicle."

Yet...."..a spokesperson for the actor said the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks."

So was it an actual bullet, and not a blank?

Alec Baldwin shouted 'why was I handed a hot gun' after shooting crewmember

I don’t know if that’s actually been released yet, officially anyways. Maybe AB just assumed it was “hot” as in it had a live bullet in it?

 

[Gardenista]

I'd like to understand.

"A “hot gun” is when a weapon contains live ammunition."

"An eyewitness told the outlet the bullet that discharged from the prop gun went straight through the body of mother-of-one Hutchins, who died on the way to hospital. Filmmaker Souza was injured when the bullet hit his clavicle."

Yet...."..a spokesperson for the actor said the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks."

So was it an actual bullet, and not a blank?

Alec Baldwin shouted 'why was I handed a hot gun' after shooting crewmember

It's spin from AB. It was a bullet.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

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.

I would guess it's possible that a fragment of the blank's crimped case could separate and be fired out of the barrel. But it's mass and shape would preclude it from going very far and no way could it go completely through someone and injure another. JMO.

 

[happyday]

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.

Yes!! That’s why I don’t work in that industry anymore. Haha.

 

[whitelilac]

I don't think there has been an announcement yet, but in my opinion, there must have been one or more real bullets in that revolver--not blanks, when AB received the revolver from the Assistant Director. That's why I am expecting some sort of criminal charges here, if only negligent homicide, against the individual who left real bullets in that revolver. A person is dead because of someone's carelessness, and another is wounded.

Thank you.

Another question: The armorer removed a "spent casing" from the gun before giving the gun to the police.
Since I know nothing about guns, is a "spent casing" the remains after a bullet is fired? i.e. from only a bullet and not a "blank"?

 

[Deleted member 39678]

Thank you.

Another question: The armorer removed a "spent casing" from the gun before giving the gun to the police.
Since I know nothing about guns, is a "spent casing" the remains after a bullet is fired? i.e. from only a bullet and not a "blank"?

A bullet is a projectile that is attached to the end of the case. The case is were the gunpowder is. When a gun is fired the bullet is launched out of the guns barrel and the now empty (spent) case is left behind. A blank is a case that has gunpowder in it but no bullet attached. JMO.

 

[Marysmith]

Thank you.

Another question: The armorer removed a "spent casing" from the gun before giving the gun to the police.
Since I know nothing about guns, is a "spent casing" the remains after a bullet is fired? i.e. from only a bullet and not a "blank"?

Good question. I know very little too but I think so…

 

[Nanceedroo]

How can a prop gun loaded with blanks misfire and kill someone?

<modnsip - no link> Maybe could have hit an artery? They airlifted her to the hospital but she didn’t make it. Heartbreaking for all involved.

 

[Betty P]

I would guess it's possible that a fragment of the blank's crimped case could separate and be fired out of the barrel. But it's mass and shape would preclude it from going very far and no way could it go completely through someone and injure another. JMO.

Like Brandon Lee's unfortunate accident, some remnant of a previous blank, etc. could have been lodged in the barrel that wasn't noticed. Loading and shooting a blank then propels it out of the gun just like a bullet.

 

[whitelilac]

A bullet is a projectile that is attached to the end of the case. The case is were the gunpowder is. When a gun is fired the bullet is launched out of the guns barrel and the now empty (spent) case is left behind. A blank is a case that has gunpowder in it but no bullet attached. JMO.

So...it was a bullet that struck Hutchins and Souza.

Who the heck was in charge of preparing and supervising those three guns on the cart? The armorer.

Was there someone who had access to that cart between the armorer and the assistant director?
If not, the armorer who prepared those guns was responsible,
....and at the least she should have made sure nobody was near those guns until the AD took one to hand to AB.

Damn sure somebody needs to be charged with negligent homicide.

 

[Betty P]

Good question. I know very little too but I think so…

There would be a spent casing if either a regular bullet was fired or if it was a "blank". Scroll back a couple of pages and you'll see diagrams WS members have posted showing the difference between a bullet and a blank. Both using casings that are either left in the gun or ejected by the gun, depending on the type of weapon.

 

[SuziQ]

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!

That is not a comparable situation.

 

[Marysmith]

So...it was a bullet that struck Hutchins and Souza.

Who the heck was in charge of preparing and supervising those three guns on the cart? The armorer.

Was there someone who had access to that cart between the armorer and the assistant director?
If not, the armorer who prepared those guns was responsible,
....and at the least she should have made sure nobody was near those guns until the AD took one to hand to AB.

Damn sure somebody needs to be charged with negligent homicide.

Shouldn’t the AD or someone else checked it again as well? At least a double check?

 

[whitelilac]

There would be a spent casing if either a regular bullet was fired or if it was a "blank". Scroll back a couple of pages and you'll see diagrams WS members have posted showing the difference between a bullet and a blank. Both using casings that are either left in the gun or ejected by the gun, depending on the type of weapon.

But evidently a blank cannot go through a body, as was the case here.

 

[Trebor5591]

Thank you.

Another question: The armorer removed a "spent casing" from the gun before giving the gun to the police.
Since I know nothing about guns, is a "spent casing" the remains after a bullet is fired? i.e. from only a bullet and not a "blank"?

Yes, from either a live round or a blank.

Individual rounds that have been fired, are called "spent rounds". The propellant (powder) has been ignited and vaporized, the bullet, (or in the case of a blank, the wadding) have been propelled from the barrel of the revolver, and all the remains is the spent casing that contained the powder.

 

[Trebor5591]

Thank you.

Another question: The armorer removed a "spent casing" from the gun before giving the gun to the police.
Since I know nothing about guns, is a "spent casing" the remains after a bullet is fired? i.e. from only a bullet and not a "blank"?

Yes, from either a live round or a blank.

Individual rounds that have been fired, are called "spent rounds". The propellant (powder) has been ignited and vaporized, the bullet, (or in the case of a blank, the wadding) has been propelled from the barrel. What remains is the spent casing.

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