'Rust' armorer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter?

[M-61]

That is why you need only blank-capable firearms on movie sets so there is zero possibility of an accident.

Really. My guess is (actor) Jon-Erik Hexum would disagree rather firmly if he hadn’t blown his brains out with a blank and on a movie set.

 

[Eagle Six]

There are computer generated graphics, electronically activated props, and sound effects that simulate real firearms, simulate real shooting, and simulate real injury. There is absolutely no need for real ammunition, real blanks, or real guns.

And, to clarify my earlier statement being no reason for real firearms on set, there is one exception. Firearms to be carried by trained professional security for personal and property protection if producers feel it necessary to protect high profile actors and/or guest or perhaps the high risk at on-location sets from local turmoil.

 

[MislMan]

When this happened, I got the impression that they were checking on camera angles for shooting the scene. I understood that Mr. Baldwin assumed a position targeting a foe and Ms. Hutchins stepped directly in front of his position to view the scene from a camera looking straight down the business end of the pistol.

My personal assumption followed that Baldwin, thinking the gun was safe, playfully pulled the trigger just playing around with a friend. Crap like this happens when the less gun people get together. This very nasty and unfortunate incident happened.

Just my unsubstantiated take on things. People don’t know what they don’t know and many won’t/don’t ask.

 

[Turkeytider]

He pointed the gun. He pulled the trigger. He didn’t make sure the gun was empty. People have even been killed with blanks. An inexcusable, irresponsible act by a self-absorbed adult with total disregard for another’s safety. Questions?

The chances of these up East or far West liberal Hollywood denizens knowing anything about firearms safety is next to zip. Wish I had a quarter for every time Daddy said, " You check that gun, boy? " when I was first starting out.

 

[Bojo]

I agree that she is guilty in part.
I also believe that Alec Baldwin in guilty at a higher level than they found of her.
He was to top Boss of the entire movie.


It’s not like he was or is a a toddler who picked up a gun that a parent or guardian left laying around. He has handled guns for quite a few decades. He knows better than to do what he did. For his actions he is more guilty /at fault than the “Armorer”.

With the missing cartridge casing and the negligent breaking of the pistol by the FBI it conveniently opens the door for him to found less at fault.
Hell , his prints could have been the only ones on that missing piece of brass.

 

[Enosiophobia]

Any asshole knows, when someone hands you a gun the first thing, you do is check to see if its loaded. Baldwin couldnt qualify as an asshole. Arrogant MF er gonna skate. Shit rolls down hill.

Actually the correct procedure is to have the owner show you it's cleared.....then you reverify.

 

[Murray Brook]

For those here who believe banning guns on set is the answer I say here we go again like the anti-gun people blame the gun. It loaded itself with a real bullet, jumped in Baldwin's hand and pointed itself at the lady and went off all by itself.

 

[Bill K]

Corrupt Justice. The person that issued the gun, from movie stock, is charged and found guilty, yet the one that did the actual murder, used the gun and pulled the trigger is still skating free as a bird. There is no justice anymore in the courts and legal system. It is just flat out corrupt to the core.

 

[TTE]

If I hand you a gun and tell you it's unloaded, would you point it at your head and pull the trigger?

IMO ...... that is the question that puts AB in the can. (if the prosecution is smart enough to pose it).

 

[dgeesaman]

He was to top Boss of the entire movie.

And here, I thought he was just the leading actor. If he was literally running the show then he bears responsibility for much more than that, esp if he was handling the firearms unnecessarily.

As for the armorer, if she was worth her salt she would have locked up every firearm on set and kept them locked down from everyone *especially* her boss. And if there was resistance to that, she should have known to take everything and let someone else try to manage that toxic situation.

Reminds me of the time at my work when the CEO had been wandering around our lab area and touching too much stuff. They shut off everyone's keyfob access to that building except for the very essential people. Eventually it leaked it was our CEO who caused the lock changes, but nobody was surprised or upset at the lab manager - we knew our CEO needed to be managed.

 

[karrarararararar]

When you know as little about guns as the Hollywood elite do, it doesn't take much to look like an expert.

 

[ChrisNZ]

@ChrisNZ
I respect your opinion but certainly disagree. How you feel that Baldwin, who is basically the CEO ( in the end responsible for everything) of this set, who pointed a loaded weapon at someone and shot and killed someone is not responsible for the end result is had to compute.

Well that aspect never made the news here far as I recall. That puts a quite different slant on it.

 

[Eagle Six]

Laws, procedures, rules are well and good, but the ultimate responsibility for safe gun handling is with the person handling the gun. That is Baldwin, he is responsible for the death and injury. He and others can lie and make excuses, but gun safety does not end at the gate of a movie set. Movie actors may be dumb and uneducated about gun safety, regardless they are responsible if they are handling guns. This is all black and white!

 

[NorCalMikie]

Baldwin better be WELL Insured!!

 

[Turkeytider]

I agree that she is guilty in part.
I also believe that Alec Baldwin in guilty at a higher level than they found of her.
He was to top Boss of the entire movie.


It’s not like he was or is a a toddler who picked up a gun that a parent or guardian left laying around. He has handled guns for quite a few decades. He knows better than to do what he did. For his actions he is more guilty /at fault than the “Armorer”.

With the missing cartridge casing and the negligent breaking of the pistol by the FBI it conveniently opens the door for him to found less at fault.
Hell , his prints could have been the only ones on that missing piece of brass.

" He knows better......" I`m personally not so sure of that. I`ll go out on a limb and hazard a guess that he " assumed " that everything was OK with the firearm when he was handed it by the armorer. If he ever thought of it at all, he considered it the armorer`s job to ensure the safety of the firearms, not his. The basic safety concept of, " You assume every gun is loaded until you verify that it isn`t " is totally alien to him.

 

[Xerothermic]

Any asshole knows, when someone hands you a gun the first thing, you do is check to see if its loaded. Baldwin couldnt qualify as an asshole. Arrogant MF er gonna skate. Shit rolls down hill.

I would venture that 75% of this country wouldn't know what to do if handed a weapon. So, there's that.

If the armorer had been onsite doing her job this wouldn't have happened. Assuming she knew what her job was and was competent. I don't support or even like Baldwin in any way, but he's an actor and actors rehearse scripts. Mindlessly, perhaps as in this case.

If the gun had been a prop stick of dynamite that went bang, would you fault Baldwin for throwing it?

 

[mac86951]

I need to buy another role of duct tape to keep my mouth shut. NM was weird before this fiasco.

Ah-ha! Found a roll.
-Mac

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

" He knows better......" I`m personally not so sure of that. I`ll go out on a limb and hazard a guess that he " assumed " that everything was OK with the firearm when he was handed it by the armorer. If he ever thought of it at all, he considered it the armorer`s job to ensure the safety of the firearms, not his. The basic safety concept of, " You assume every gun is loaded until you verify that it isn`t " is totally alien to him.

Key point! Ignorance or negligence is no excuse, especially when he makes a living handling firearms. I can't, and no one should, expect someone else to be responsible in this situation or any other when it comes to a most basic principle...that you never, ever pointg a gun at something that you don't wish to kill or destroy. It really is that simple, regardless of his line of work. It applies to everyone THAT PICKS UP A GUN AT ALL!

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I would venture that 75% of this country wouldn't know what to do if handed a weapon. So, there's that.

If the armorer had been onsite doing her job this wouldn't have happened. Assuming she knew what her job was and was competent. I don't support or even like Baldwin in any way, but he's an actor and actors rehearse scripts. Mindlessly, perhaps as in this case.

If the gun had been a prop stick of dynamite that went bang, would you fault Baldwin for throwing it?

Assume? Spell that out loud to yourself. You can't assume anything when it comes to this. I know some have a different view but I can't get my head around any other way of seeing this. I just can't!

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

If you don't even know what rule number 1 is, in terms of gun handling....then how the hell are you a professional in a career that requires you to handle firearms and to literally point them at other human beings as part of the job without this knowledge and such a very, very basic principle to be 110% ingrained into the mind of the "professional"? I just can't see this except one way. I'm sorry. It was a tragic accident that could have and should have been prevented. That's why it's not murder and why we have these laws that put responsibility on the one that held and fired the gun.