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

[charminglane]

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.

I read or heard that, too.

 

[charminglane]

Gun that killed 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was used for target practice the morning of her death, reports say

Hours before Alec Baldwin fired the gun that killed Hutchins, it was used by crew to shoot beer cans, according to sources cited by The Wrap and TMZ.

www.businessinsider.com

Alec Baldwin's Gun in Rust Shooting Was Used for Target Practice by Crew Members: Report

The prop gun discharged by Alec Baldwin was reportedly used recreationally prior to the death of Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set

people.com

 

[Lilibet]

Gun that killed 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was used for target practice the morning of her death, reports say

Hours before Alec Baldwin fired the gun that killed Hutchins, it was used by crew to shoot beer cans, according to sources cited by The Wrap and TMZ.

www.businessinsider.com

Alec Baldwin's Gun in Rust Shooting Was Used for Target Practice by Crew Members: Report

The prop gun discharged by Alec Baldwin was reportedly used recreationally prior to the death of Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set

people.com

Thank you for finding these links @charminglane!

 

[PrairieWind]

Gun that killed 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was used for target practice the morning of her death, reports say

Hours before Alec Baldwin fired the gun that killed Hutchins, it was used by crew to shoot beer cans, according to sources cited by The Wrap and TMZ.

www.businessinsider.com

Alec Baldwin's Gun in Rust Shooting Was Used for Target Practice by Crew Members: Report

The prop gun discharged by Alec Baldwin was reportedly used recreationally prior to the death of Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set

people.com

I don't remember where I thought I read this, but I seem to recall that in the report, the Sherriff's office saying that they were never able to substantiate those claims. Does anyone else remember that?

 

[housewife]

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.

I agree that actors are not special- they are not specially trained in firearm safety and are not expected to be. The industry standard is to treat all actors like children - never hand them anything with which they could hurt themselves. That's why the job of the armorer was created.

Quite frankly, even if you made all actors go through firearm safety training, it would still be irresponsible to expect them to apply that knowledge. You can't trust actors to do anything but say their lines, and that is all we allow them to do.

It is literally our job to keep the actors safe from themselves.

 

[mickey2942]

I don't remember where I thought I read this, but I seem to recall that in the report, the Sherriff's office saying that they were never able to substantiate those claims. Does anyone else remember that?

I doubt anyone would want to say anything, and face potential charges. We know that the armorer was completely incompetent. I think that she is a young girl, who was pretty much trying to make her way in the business, and didn't want to do any pushback or make waves when the director told her to do things that were not the way her father would have done...she didn't want to get a rep for being difficult.

Been there, done that. Learned quickly as a young, new female employee, I was completely pushed around by older males, who would have never treated a man that way. Anyway, I digress...

I doubt that her father ever left a gun laying around on a table for a scene. That is impossibly lax, and HG was probably told by DH to have the specific gun ready for a scene, and she did what she was told, while she was also doing something else. So, she did it, probably hurrying, trying to do everything...and missed double check on the bullets. Or someone picked up the gun and was using it, changed out the bullets, and then, didn't put the blanks back in...

 

[PrairieWind]

I doubt anyone would want to say anything, and face potential charges. We know that the armorer was completely incompetent. I think that she is a young girl, who was pretty much trying to make her way in the business, and didn't want to do any pushback or make waves when the director told her to do things that were not the way her father would have done...she didn't want to get a rep for being difficult.

Been there, done that. Learned quickly as a young, new female employee, I was completely pushed around by older males, who would have never treated a man that way. Anyway, I digress...

I doubt that her father ever left a gun laying around on a table for a scene. That is impossibly lax, and HG was probably told by DH to have the specific gun ready for a scene, and she did what she was told, while she was also doing something else. So, she did it, probably hurrying, trying to do everything...and missed double check on the bullets. Or someone picked up the gun and was using it, changed out the bullets, and then, didn't put the blanks back in...

If I get time tonight I'll try to wade through that Sherriff report, it was hundreds of pages if I remember. But I seem to remember it saying they had that rumor, investigated, but never could substantiate. If there were people shooting guns in evening etc, I would think lots of folks would have known and reported that to the investigators. There apparently were plenty of folks allegedly unhappy about safety onset, so I would think if they knew of it they would say so. They aren't going to be in trouble legally.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

If I get time tonight I'll try to wade through that Sherriff report, it was hundreds of pages if I remember. But I seem to remember it saying they had that rumor, investigated, but never could substantiate. If there were people shooting guns in evening etc, I would think lots of folks would have known and reported that to the investigators. There apparently were plenty of folks allegedly unhappy about safety onset, so I would think if they knew of it they would say so. They aren't going to be in trouble legally.

When it comes to 'the industry' nobody's going to say a word about anything IMO.

Hollywood people traditionally only ever speak well of one another in public even if they hate each other's guts and they never divulge the truth of difficulties on set. That's just how it is. If you can't keep everyone's secrets, you'd never work again.

In this case, this entire production sounds like a totally unprofessional nightmare from beginning to end. The fact that some crew readily complained about the working conditions, unreasonable long hours, and lack of appropriate accommodation would be the tip of the ice-berg.

JMO MOO

 

[Betty P]

I don't remember where I thought I read this, but I seem to recall that in the report, the Sherriff's office saying that they were never able to substantiate those claims. Does anyone else remember that?

Yes, I do. It was in the news in the early days, but later news reports dropped it.

 

[PrairieWind]

When it comes to 'the industry' nobody's going to say a word about anything IMO.

Hollywood people traditionally only ever speak well of one another in public even if they hate each other's guts and they never divulge the truth of difficulties on set. That's just how it is. If you can't keep everyone's secrets, you'd never work again.

In this case, this entire production sounds like a totally unprofessional nightmare from beginning to end. The fact that some crew readily complained about the working conditions, unreasonable long hours, and lack of appropriate accommodation would be the tip of the ice-berg.

JMO MOO

But your first sentence and your last paragraph conflict. People will complaint about THEIR condition, but not talk to police after a woman is dead?

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

But your first sentence and your last paragraph conflict. People will complaint about THEIR condition, but not talk to police after a woman is dead?

Actually come to think of it, I think it may have been friends / family of the victim who said there was issues with the accommodation and length of drive time to the set back and forth and long hours etc.

Regardless, seemingly the crew had complained and been moved accommodation, that's hardly the same as telling the police and media top secrets - for example how the 'talent' bring in drugs / prostitutes / or they all sit around shooting at tin cans of a night time or how someone's a terrible actor or can't remember their lines and has to do 150 takes etc. In the business, this is simply never done.

JMO MOO

 

[zucchinibread]

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.

This take is CRAZY. It is NOT the responsibility of the actor to find their own firearm training if their EMPLOYER requires the action of firing the gun.

That's like saying that a police officer is required to procure his OWN firearm training without the help of the police academy.

The acting unions have some level of protection for this. This manslaughter charge will not stand, and if it does, there is severe injustice happening that will set a VERY unforunate and dangerous precedent in the entertainment industry.

I'm happy to prove I'm a verified expert in this specific topic if that would help move this conversation forward about what an actor's responsibility is when he arrives on set.

(As someone whose expertise would translate to AD in film/tv, I find it extremely offensive that any blame is being placed on the AD of this film either. It is completely not his responsibility.)

 

[al66pine]

...
I'm happy to prove I'm a verified expert in this specific topic if that would help move this conversation forward about what an actor's responsibility is when he arrives on set....

snipped for focus @zucchinibread

Here's info about expert verification process on this site.

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*PLEASE NOTE THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS FOR VERIFICATION IS [email protected]* If you would like to add yourself as an expert in a certain field or as an insider to a case, please send an email to [email protected] Please note this is a new email address. If you do not wish to be identified as...

www.websleuths.com

 

[zucchinibread]

snipped for focus @zucchinibread

Here's info about expert verification process on this site.

Verification Process for Professional or Insider Posters

*PLEASE NOTE THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS FOR VERIFICATION IS [email protected]* If you would like to add yourself as an expert in a certain field or as an insider to a case, please send an email to [email protected] Please note this is a new email address. If you do not wish to be identified as...

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Thanks! Sending an email to them now!

 

[Lilibet]

I'm happy to prove I'm a verified expert in this specific topic if that would help move this conversation forward about what an actor's responsibility is when he arrives on set.

Your perspective is very interesting. Thanks. Becoming a verified expert would be good idea for this case and possibly for future cases.

 

[clearskies1]

This take is CRAZY. It is NOT the responsibility of the actor to find their own firearm training if their EMPLOYER requires the action of firing the gun.

That's like saying that a police officer is required to procure his OWN firearm training without the help of the police academy.

The acting unions have some level of protection for this. This manslaughter charge will not stand, and if it does, there is severe injustice happening that will set a VERY unforunate and dangerous precedent in the entertainment industry.

I'm happy to prove I'm a verified expert in this specific topic if that would help move this conversation forward about what an actor's responsibility is when he arrives on set.

(As someone whose expertise would translate to AD in film/tv, I find it extremely offensive that any blame is being placed on the AD of this film either. It is completely not his responsibility.)

Then why was Baldwin apparently supposed to have firearm training on this movie? I've read that he was supposed to go to that. Not sure if he attended.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Then why was Baldwin apparently supposed to have firearm training on this movie? I've read that he was supposed to go to that. Not sure if he attended.

Would it not depend on how you define 'firearm training'?

ie, handling firearms health & safety certificates -or- training actors what shooting old fashion guns authentically looks like?

 

[Laughing]

Then why was Baldwin apparently supposed to have firearm training on this movie? I've read that he was supposed to go to that. Not sure if he attended.

iirc, the required/expected trainnig was scheduled with Baldwin, who didn't show up.

iirc, this happened three times, HGR brought this up to a different AD than the one who pled guilty, but the situation was not resolved before HH's death.

In theory, participating in the industry-expected firearm safety training may perhaps have saved HH's life...if Baldwin had participated in the training.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

iirc, the required/expected trainnig was scheduled with Baldwin, who didn't show up.

iirc, this happened three times, HGR brought this up to a different AD than the one who pled guilty, but the situation was not resolved before HH's death.

In theory, participating in the industry-expected firearm safety training may perhaps have saved HH's life...if Baldwin had participated in the training.

jmho ymmv lrr

Are you saying it was definitely firearm safety training that AB failed to attend?

Is there verification of this?

 

[al66pine]

Misfires on the Rust Set?
Here are quotes from NM st. agency's "Summary of Investigation" about the "misfires" allegations.
Anyone familiar w firearms below? Please comment about PLAUSIBILITY of these explanations given?

(Background, from ¶ 9... The Armorer was Hannah Gutierrez-Reed; her immediate supervisor was Sarah Zachary, Props Master.)
¶"15. On October 16, 2021, there were two firearms misfires on the Rust set. In the first instance, Sarah Zachary inadvertently fired a blank round as she finished loading a .45 caliber revolver that was aimed at the ground. To return the hammer to the closed position and make the firearm safe, the operator must hold the hammer and depress the trigger, guiding the hammer to the closed position deliberately. In the
case of the first misfire, the hammer slipped from Ms. Zachary’s thumb or fingers, likely resulting in the firing pin on the hammer striking the primer which ignited the powder, firing the blank round."

¶ "16. The second misfire on October 16, 2021, involved Blake Teixiera, Stunt Double for Alec Baldwin, and a lever action rifle of unknown make and model. It is not known how the misfire happened, as according to some statements he was alone in “the cabin”, and others state he was not alone. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed stated that Blake Teixiera’s only comment was “it just went off.” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
described that it is probable the rifle fired by being placed onto the ground too roughly."

Not clear to me how close these two events happened to where film shooting or rehearsals were taking place. Could either one have resulted in injuring or killing ppl say, 100, 250 or more yards away?

IIUC management of the production was promptly made aware of these two events.

____________________________________
* NM Occupational Health and Safety Bureau
"SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION"
"FINDINGS"

https://www.env.nm.gov/occupational_health_safety/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/04/2022-04-19-NM-OSHA-Rust-Summary-of-Investigation.pdf