Alec Baldwin shoots/kills cinematographer and injured director after firing a "prop gun".

[BroadwayHermione5]

As someone in the industry:



It was always going to be a lose lose because he was/is the producer. And because he is a producer he should be charged. A producer is supposed to oversee all aspects of the project. They are also the ones financing it. Therefore his hands were always tied. I have no doubt the actor side of him will grapple with this for the rest of his life, hence the lose lose

I have no doubt he is going to give his full cooperation with the impending trial(s) as he did with the full investigation. Will it help him to give full cooperation? Yes. But he should still be charged. I don’t forsee him getting jail time though. I don’t know a lot about law, and what few lawyer friends I have say they can easily see him getting community service/some sort of probationary sentence as opposed to jail time.


The armorer also rightfully got charged. And depending on who else was there, propmaster and stunt coordinators/directors/team leaders could also have been charged.


I doubt Ms. Hutchins family wants this dragged out any longer, however they are also following federal, state, and all entertainment union protocol.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I don't know a thing about guns, but I watched a couple of clips of police interviews. One was with the armorer, and not only did she seem young, she seemed very scattered...."off" would be another way to put it. I get it...it's Hollywood and so there are creative types, but she seemed off to me.

DH and I just finished watching the entire Narcos series again on Netflix. Six seasons in total....Narcos and Narcos Mexico. Very well done if you can handle the violence....etc. They must have fired literally thousands and thousands of rounds in shooting those six seasons, not to mention blowing up cars, buildings...etc. I just don't understand how this kind of thing could have happened on an "old timey" western type movie when a character is holding *one* gun.

But I also wonder if every single actor in every scene of Narcos is checking those weapons to make sure they are "dummy/cold" bullets...or whatever the case may be. Knowing nothing of guns, it seems that all of the weapons used in Narcos are of the "semi-automatic" type....does that make a difference? Because I can't imagine every single actor on Narcos taking the time to check those weapons for every take. It would seem to take too much time. There has to bee an enormous amount of trust in the team in charge of those weapons.

I think the armorer bears most of the responsibility in this case. And even if Baldwin looked into the weapon and saw a bullet, would he have been able to tell the difference between a real bullet and a dummy one?

 

[kdonnel]

I think its unfair to charge him. Years ago, I was in a production of Phantom of the Opera. There was an effect where the chandelier "fell down" onto the stage. I was told to hit my mark and when some of us expressed concern about the "falling chandelier" we were told something like "don't worry, we pay professionals to deal with that so you can focus on your job - acting." Did I insist on hoisting up to the ceiling to check the restraints and pulleys, etc. No, I did not. Neither did anyone else. People have jobs and are expected to do them. To me, 100% on the armorer.

I think in this case they are not charging Alec Baldwin the actor, but Alec Baldwin the executive producer. They one responsible for making sure things were done safely on the set.

 

[JLTraveling]

I think in this case they are not charging Alec Baldwin the actor, but Alec Baldwin the executive producer. They one responsible for making sure things were done safely on the set.

Except that part of their argument is that he pulled the trigger. Which he still denies, and there's evidence of that particular gun randomly going off before. But regardless, it can't be both ways. He wasn't handling the gun in his capacity as executive producer. He was handling it in his capacity as actor. So I could see, potentially, a civil suit and/or some other kind of charge for his actions as executive producer. But in my non-lawyer opinion, they're charging Alec Baldwin the actor, given that it's an involuntary manslaughter charge with firearm addition laid on the person who had the gun in his hands at the time.

 

[kdonnel]

Except that part of their argument is that he pulled the trigger. Which he still denies, and there's evidence of that particular gun randomly going off before. But regardless, it can't be both ways. He wasn't handling the gun in his capacity as executive producer. He was handling it in his capacity as actor. So I could see, potentially, a civil suit and/or some other kind of charge for his actions as executive producer. But in my non-lawyer opinion, they're charging Alec Baldwin the actor, given that it's an involuntary manslaughter charge with firearm addition laid on the person who had the gun in his hands at the time.

I believe he should be charged as Alec Baldwin the actor as well. As the actor he did not follow movie industry standards for handling a weapon.

 

[anniemae]

The think I keep coming back to is that many people said the set was "fast and loose." Rules were not followed, live ammo was mixed with dummy ammo, there were little to no gun rehersals etc. About 10 workers quit and walked off due to the lack of safety. There were reports of cast going out into the desert with guns from the set to shoot at tin cans.

Alec also claimed he did not pull the trigger, that the gun went off on its own. There were reports accidental prop gun discharges during rehearsals that were fired by Alec's stunt double, but I guess nobody was hurt during those instances. Add to that the fact that "cold gun" was stated before handing Alec the gun. I think the armorer was mostly responsible, but then I read that Alec, as producer, should have checked the gun. It really is a mess.

 

[kdonnel]

I don’t think his intention was to kill anyone but his actions as an actor and his actions as executive producer directly lead to a death.

 

[leebee]

I think that Baldwin should be charged for negligence as the producer. The set was described as "fast and loose" and if stage crew were quitting left and right, that should have been a sign of an issue, safety or otherwise, that the producer should have dealt with in person. I think the live ammunition is the armorer's fault, as it appears from posts here that the difference between live ammunition and blanks is obvious; I'd think that knowing what is loaded into the gun was her responsibility. You can argue that Baldwin should have checked the gun when he was given it, but as the armorer is the person responsible for handing off a "safe" gun (although I don't think any gun is safe), it's not unreasonable for Baldwin to have thought that the gun was safe. As an earlier poster said, sure, I make sure the iron, coffee pot, etc. are are turned off before we leave the house, but if DH said "I got the iron" I wouldn't run upstairs to double-check. It's his job (and mine) to make sure our home is safe, and if he said he made sure it is, I'd believe him.

I am curious about the folks who used the set guns for live target practice. Should they be charged as accessories/with negligence? Why were they recreationally using guns that belong to the production? Why were they using live ammunition for this? Did the company that supplied the blanks really mix in live rounds, or did the folks who chose to ignore the rules about bringing live ammunition onto the set get careless? Should they bear some of the responsibility/blame, too?

This whole thing is a hot mess and a woman is dead because of irresponsibility and negligence.

 

[bcla]

Does live ammo look noticeably different from the fake stuff? Could someone tell just by looking at it?

Depends on how it’s prepared. This was for a revolver, and dummy bullets are there to give the appearance that a revolver is loaded. Most have either no primer or a rubber insert where the primer would normally be. It doesn’t have to be, but many drill holes in the side of the brass to indicate that it’s a dummy round. They could be made specifically, but often they’re made from real ammo where the powder and primer are removed.

This is .45 ACP, so I’m not sure why anyone would need a dummy round like this other than maybe practice cycling it by hand. But it shows the holes and the lack of primer. I’ve seen photos of .45 Long Colt (the type on the set) dummies and most show holes but are standing up on the end so the lack of primer isn't obvious.

With the infamous Brandon Lee death in the 90s, the cause was that someone made a dummy round out of a real cartridge but didn’t remove the primer. When it was fired, the primer was enough to lodge the bullet in the barrel. Nobody checked the barrel, and when blanks were loaded, one had enough force to shoot out the lodged bullet.

 

[bcla]

I think that Baldwin should be charged for negligence as the producer. The set was described as "fast and loose" and if stage crew were quitting left and right, that should have been a sign of an issue, safety or otherwise, that the producer should have dealt with in person. I think the live ammunition is the armorer's fault, as it appears from posts here that the difference between live ammunition and blanks is obvious; I'd think that knowing what is loaded into the gun was her responsibility. You can argue that Baldwin should have checked the gun when he was given it, but as the armorer is the person responsible for handing off a "safe" gun (although I don't think any gun is safe), it's not unreasonable for Baldwin to have thought that the gun was safe. As an earlier poster said, sure, I make sure the iron, coffee pot, etc. are are turned off before we leave the house, but if DH said "I got the iron" I wouldn't run upstairs to double-check. It's his job (and mine) to make sure our home is safe, and if he said he made sure it is, I'd believe him.

I am curious about the folks who used the set guns for live target practice. Should they be charged as accessories/with negligence? Why were they recreationally using guns that belong to the production? Why were they using live ammunition for this? Did the company that supplied the blanks really mix in live rounds, or did the folks who chose to ignore the rules about bringing live ammunition onto the set get careless? Should they bear some of the responsibility/blame, too?

This whole thing is a hot mess and a woman is dead because of irresponsibility and negligence.

Negligence is more a civil matter and I believe the family of the deceased has already settled.

https://ew.com/movies/alec-baldwin-rust-movie-halyna-hutchins-settlement/

 

[fla4fun]

Somehow I missed hearing about people using the production firearms for target practice after hours. It would seem to me that this would have been a perfect way for live ammo and blanks to get mixed up. Shouldn’t all the props, including firearms, have been locked up after hours? Shouldn’t that have been part of the safety protocol? I agree that as producer, Baldwin was responsible for everything on set, and others would have followed his example when it came to following the rules. If people had access to the firearms after hours, it was ultimately his responsibility. He should be charged, and I feel some jail time is warranted, even though I realize he may not serve any.

Although I understand why the armorer has also been charged, has anything come out about the visual differences in the live and blank ammo actually present on the set? I am sure the armorer was not expecting live ammo to be there, and if there weren’t any obvious visual differences, even the action of opening and clearing the gun for use may not have caught the live ammo. She could have followed established procedures and considered the gun cold as a result. I haven’t heard a lot of detail in regards to the two types of ammo, so I don’t know how plausible this scenario is. I would expect there to be people in New Mexico who carry guns or ammo on a regular basis, and it would not surprise me to find out the live ammo wasn’t mixed in by a supplier, but by some careless people who shouldn’t have been touching the production firearms in the first place. Carelessness seems to be a hallmark of this set.

I have a feeling there will be a lot of changes as a result of this situation. It’s possible that movie and tv productions will one day only be able to use fake firearms incapable of firing anything, with special effects adding the “boom” in post production.

 

[JLTraveling]

I think that Baldwin should be charged for negligence as the producer. The set was described as "fast and loose" and if stage crew were quitting left and right, that should have been a sign of an issue, safety or otherwise, that the producer should have dealt with in person. I think the live ammunition is the armorer's fault, as it appears from posts here that the difference between live ammunition and blanks is obvious; I'd think that knowing what is loaded into the gun was her responsibility. You can argue that Baldwin should have checked the gun when he was given it, but as the armorer is the person responsible for handing off a "safe" gun (although I don't think any gun is safe), it's not unreasonable for Baldwin to have thought that the gun was safe. As an earlier poster said, sure, I make sure the iron, coffee pot, etc. are are turned off before we leave the house, but if DH said "I got the iron" I wouldn't run upstairs to double-check. It's his job (and mine) to make sure our home is safe, and if he said he made sure it is, I'd believe him.

I am curious about the folks who used the set guns for live target practice. Should they be charged as accessories/with negligence? Why were they recreationally using guns that belong to the production? Why were they using live ammunition for this? Did the company that supplied the blanks really mix in live rounds, or did the folks who chose to ignore the rules about bringing live ammunition onto the set get careless? Should they bear some of the responsibility/blame, too?

This whole thing is a hot mess and a woman is dead because of irresponsibility and negligence.

Negligence yes. I agree that there was a LOT of negligence going around, and anyone who brought live ammo anywhere near the set was equally negligent. But that's civil. Involuntary manslaughter is typically more like: guy grabbed a loaded gun (that he knew was loaded) and waved it around. Not a gun that the armorer specifically told him was cold-- which means nothing in it. Not even a blank or dummy round.

 

[mjkacmom]

Negligence yes. I agree that there was a LOT of negligence going around, and anyone who brought live ammo anywhere near the set was equally negligent. But that's civil. Involuntary manslaughter is typically more like: guy grabbed a loaded gun (that he knew was loaded) and waved it around. Not a gun that the armorer specifically told him was cold-- which means nothing in it. Not even a blank or dummy round.

And even the police can not find evidence showing where the bullets came from.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Negligence is more a civil matter and I believe the family of the deceased has already settled.

https://ew.com/movies/alec-baldwin-rust-movie-halyna-hutchins-settlement/

Negligent homicide in most states is also criminal, and usually is the top level misdemeanor or the lowest level felony (and either way, is normally a 6-12 month sentence or probation type crime)...

 

[TLSnell1981]

Besides being the producer and firing the gun...Baldwin also pointed the weapon at Ms Hutchins. Her death was an avoidable tragedy. Yet he still makes this all about his anguish and pain. I have zero sympathy for Alec Baldwin.

 

[VandVsmama]

It was inevitable that someone was going to be charged. Just have to wait now for the normal legal proceedings to continue to their conclusion.

 

[bcla]

Charges have been dropped against Alec Baldwin. They haven't been dropped against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/charges-dropped-alec-baldwin-fatal-set-rust-shooting/story?id=98734243​

Charges against Alec Baldwin have been dropped in the fatal on-set "Rust" shooting, according to sources familiar with the matter.​

​

Baldwin, 65, had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, on the New Mexico set of the Western in October 2021. The actor was practicing a cross-draw when the gun fired, striking the cinematographer and director Joel Souza, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury.​

​

"We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, the attorneys for Baldwin, said in a statement.​

 

[RamblingMad]

Charges have been dropped against Alec Baldwin. They haven't been dropped against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/charges-dropped-alec-baldwin-fatal-set-rust-shooting/story?id=98734243​

Charges against Alec Baldwin have been dropped in the fatal on-set "Rust" shooting, according to sources familiar with the matter.​

​

Baldwin, 65, had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after fatally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, on the New Mexico set of the Western in October 2021. The actor was practicing a cross-draw when the gun fired, striking the cinematographer and director Joel Souza, who suffered a non-life-threatening injury.​

​

"We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, the attorneys for Baldwin, said in a statement.​

Pays to be rich.

 

[Kennywood]

Of course they were dropped. He's a so-called celebrity.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Pays to be rich.

Poster boy for white privilege if ever I saw one, wonder how long before he and his fake latino wife resume their lives as if nothing happened... 8...7...6...5...
vile humans