Halyna Hutchins Shot With Prop Gun - Alec Baldwin indicted & Hannah Gutierrez-Reed charged, 2021 #6

[steeltowngirl]

I am so baffled how that armourer wasn't arrested, charged, and detained on the spot. Background prior history, training and qualifications checked and also drug and alcohol tested etc.

To my mind it speaks to the power and influence of the industry and also the gaps in knowledge of local LE and the fact this was an unusual incident that this has gone on in such a strange manner.

Someone is dead. A mother, a wife. This is hardly a non criminal issue for people's attorneys and the movie industry to theoretically argue out.

JMO MOO

HGR is scheduled for trial in February.

‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Wants Ex’s Death Excluded From Trial

The criminal case against “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed continues to take shape ahead of her February 2024 trial. In January 2023, the rookie armorer was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who passed away on...

www.yahoo.com

 

[ch_13]

I work in entertainment (theatre, tv, film) and I think it's a little insane to say that he KNEW he had a potentially lethal firearm in his hand.

The armorer hands off prop weapons and it is solely their responsibility to show the actor what is inside the barrel (even if its empty) and to confirm with them what they're able to do with this. Any firearm that had the capability of firing real ammunition should not have been allowed to handled by an actor (again, the armorer's responsibility).

The armorer should be the only individual at fault for this accident. If this were anyone but Alec Baldwin (ie, a big name), this case would have already been settled.

I disagree in part. Setting aside Baldwin's culpability for the moment, I think there are a few other people who deserve blame.

First are the line producers, Gabrielle Pickle and Row Walters. They had direct responsibility for hiring HGR, even though Hannah was manifestly unqualified. In the days before the shooting Pickle was sending out emails saying that Hannah needed to spend less time on her armorer duties and more time working as the props assistant, even though Hannah said she needed additional time for gun safety.

Another is David Hall, the first AD. He was the one who actually handed Baldwin the weapon and obviously did not check it. He was reportedly a tyrant on set and neglected to do the safety briefings that were his responsibility. He has already pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, but I think he got off light.

There are others who could share the blame as well, like the director or the executive producers, but the three above breached their direct responsibilities.

For anyone who hasn't read it, the report of the NM OHSB is pretty damning: https://www.env.nm.gov/occupational...-19-NM-OSHA-Rust-Summary-of-Investigation.pdf

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

HGR is scheduled for trial in February.

‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Wants Ex’s Death Excluded From Trial

The criminal case against “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed continues to take shape ahead of her February 2024 trial. In January 2023, the rookie armorer was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who passed away on...

www.yahoo.com

I just don't get how she was in such a high profile and responsible job albeit the set conditions and work conditions were allegedly pretty much completely unprofessional aside from her being there. I also do think the 'keys' situation relates as it shows mindlessness, disregard for safety, and failure to join the dots between 'action' and 'consequence', which can also be a trait of people with substance addiction. Well anyway, I hope she's got into recovery because she's going to need some tools

JMO MOO

 

[steeltowngirl]

I just don't get how she was in such a high profile and responsible job albeit the set conditions and work conditions were allegedly pretty much completely unprofessional aside from her being there. I also do think the 'keys' situation relates as it shows mindlessness, disregard for safety, and failure to join the dots between 'action' and 'consequence', which can also be a trait of people with substance addiction. Well anyway, I hope she's got into recovery because she's going to need some tools

JMO MOO

Her daddy helped her get into the armorer job.

jmo

 

[housewife]

BBM:

"Actors shooting guns on set don't believe they might kill someone". This makes no sense to me. Anyone that handles or shoots a gun should know they might kill someone. This is basic. JMO.

In real life, I agree with you.
On set, I would argue the opposite. Hired actors KNOW they are not responsible for firearm safety, because the armorer is. Actors know that anything an armorer hands them has already been checked for safety. Actors are expected to trust, listen and respect the armorer. Actors are not expected to be firearm safety experts.
We never trust actors to do anything except act and look pretty. It's our job to keep them safe.

 

[Cool Cats]

You’re Not Imagining It: The Manslaughter Charges Against Alec Baldwin Are Nuts

For one thing, we still don’t know how those live rounds got on set.

slate.com

 

[ch_13]

Her daddy helped her get into the armorer job.

jmo

Interestingly, it was apparently the owner of the prop house who got her the job. (He also recommended Sarah Zachary, the props master.)

The owner may have done thinking it was a favor for HGR's father. But in general, Thell Reed doesn't seem that involved in Hannah's life before this incident. He never trained her or took her on set as an apprentice.

I think people just assumed she had been trained by her famous armorer father.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Her daddy helped her get into the armorer job.

jmo

No surprises there then. Her daddy is perhaps as reckless as she is, if he didn't ponder health and safety and just get her a job pointing the right lights on people or loading the clapper or something a bit less deadly?

ETA: Sounds more like she used his name and rode of his coat tails than he opened doors for her then

 

[steeltowngirl]

Interestingly, it was apparently the owner of the prop house who got her the job. (He also recommended Sarah Zachary, the props master.)

The owner may have done thinking it was a favor for HGR's father. But in general, Thell Reed doesn't seem that involved in Hannah's life before this incident. He never trained her or took her on set as an apprentice.

I think people just assumed she had been trained by her famous armorer father.

The official party line may be that he didn’t get her the job, but I’d bet dollars to donuts he pulled strings to get her into the industry.

Thell Reed says he trained her.

"She's been raised around gun safety and all that when she was a little girl, she didn't need anyone to train with, she's got me," he said.

'Rust' armorer's father, Thell Reed, speaks out on fatal shooting

Longtime Hollywood armorer says he does not think his daughter will be charged

www.koat.com

 

[ch_13]

The official party line may be that he didn’t get her the job, but I’d bet dollars to donuts he pulled strings to get her into the industry.

Thell Reed says he trained her.

"She's been raised around gun safety and all that when she was a little girl, she didn't need anyone to train with, she's got me," he said.

'Rust' armorer's father, Thell Reed, speaks out on fatal shooting

Longtime Hollywood armorer says he does not think his daughter will be charged

www.koat.com

I could have sworn I saw an old article where she said she mostly picked it up on the fly. But you're probably right that she did get some training from her dad. (And also some help getting that job.)

 

[steeltowngirl]

I could have sworn I saw an old article where she said she mostly picked it up on the fly. But you're probably right that she did get some training from her dad. (And also some help getting that job.)

Picked it up on the fly.
Well, that sounds about right.
We see how well that worked out.

jmo

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I could have sworn I saw an old article where she said she mostly picked it up on the fly. But you're probably right that she did get some training from her dad. (And also some help getting that job.)

Sounds like she was taught 'watch and learn' by her father. Not sure that's a credible way to be qualified in a job really.

My father was a highly skilled carpenter and cabinet maker - sure I would have learned lots of things watching him fit kitchens and bathrooms but it didn't mean I was qualified to do the same!

 

[clearskies1]

But you do know they're using props and not shooting guns right?

I know someone who was decapitated in a stage play because the set staff forgot to set the guillotine correctly. You think he 'knew' he could have been killed any minute or that he trusted his colleagues?

Also someone suggests the point that AB wouldn't have put the gun to his own head without checking, well we don't know that. I would counter argue that he may well have accidentally shot himself were it a different type of scene and it's only arbitrary that he didn't - he trusted his team.

JMO MOO

No, I do not know that. My understanding is that Baldwin had a real gun in his hand. Are you saying that they never use real guns on set?? That's definitely not true.

 

[mickey2942]

BBM:

"Actors shooting guns on set don't believe they might kill someone". This makes no sense to me. Anyone that handles or shoots a gun should know they might kill someone. This is basic. JMO.

I don't know enough about the details here, as AB was not only the actor in this movie, but also involved in directing and producing the film.

In this capacity, didn't he specify that he wanted actual firearms, rather than facsimiles? That shows knowledge that he was handling a weapon. Also, he was either directly or indirectly responsible for hiring the armorer, and creating her job to be a "quasi armorer/prop person" rather than have a full time position for both.

That being said, I don't think that this is going to go anywhere. I see reasonable doubt all over. No point in this.

 

[clearskies1]

In real life, I agree with you.
On set, I would argue the opposite. Hired actors KNOW they are not responsible for firearm safety, because the armorer is. Actors know that anything an armorer hands them has already been checked for safety. Actors are expected to trust, listen and respect the armorer. Actors are not expected to be firearm safety experts.
We never trust actors to do anything except act and look pretty. It's our job to keep them safe.

I disagree. If you're going to hold a gun -- actor or otherwise -- you need to know what you're doing. Learn about it. Actors aren't special.

 

[Luna20]

No surprises there then. Her daddy is perhaps as reckless as she is, if he didn't ponder health and safety and just get her a job pointing the right lights on people or loading the clapper or something a bit less deadly?

ETA: Sounds more like she used his name and rode of his coat tails than he opened doors for her then

That’s exactly what happened. They hired her because of who her father is not because she was qualified.

It’s a case of assumption, based on her being around her father and assuming she had learned from him. Poor judgment, haste is waste and in this case a life was lost.

She is claiming that it’s the fault of the supplier who gave her the real bullets. Why didn’t she inspect the round’s herself? Is it part of her job to determine that, or the AD? Ultimately they were hired by AB.

I followed the case earlier on and just came back to it so this most likely has been hashed out multiple times.

 

[steeltowngirl]

No surprises there then. Her daddy is perhaps as reckless as she is, if he didn't ponder health and safety and just get her a job pointing the right lights on people or loading the clapper or something a bit less deadly?

ETA: Sounds more like she used his name and rode of his coat tails than he opened doors for her then

There shouldn’t have been live ammo on the set.
This is from 2021:

“A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a New Mexico film prop firm indicates that live ammunition on the deadly set of "Rust" might have originated with the storied stuntman Thell Reed.”

Weapons expert points to possible explanation for how live rounds got on 'Rust' set

Live ammunition may have made its way to "Rust" via a prop supplier Thell Reed worked with months earlier, Reed told investigators.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

No, I do not know that. My understanding is that Baldwin had a real gun in his hand. Are you saying that they never use real guns on set?? That's definitely not true.

Not with live ammo!!

There shouldn't have been live ammo in a million miles of the set.

The whole cow and bull story about how the lives rounds came into HGR's possession (from her father from another set from a mixture of suppliers and from a previous set to that... whut!??) it's totally and utterly unprofessional. So she left home with a cannister of her daddy's live rounds by mistake because she thought they were something else... jeez... someone is DEAD now!!

Each production has it's discrete budget and materials purchases. They should never have got into a situation where they asked HGR to supply any form of input to the show. Everything should have been purchased from authorised suppliers and inventoried.

As if there were not already so many bad stories about how unprofessional and shoddy this entire production was, the completely unqualified armourer bringing her daddy's bullets left over from a previous show blah blah blah... what an absolute hell show!!!

 

[mickey2942]

I still think that we have not heard the full story. I wonder if someone had been shooting real bullets with the gun, target practice or something. And a bullet was left in the gun.

 

[Lilibet]

I still think that we have not heard the full story. I wonder if someone had been shooting real bullets with the gun, target practice or something. And a bullet was left in the gun.

At the beginning I remember hearing that some on the crew were doing target practice with real bullets in the evenings. I doubt I can find the link now. I’ll post it if I do.