BREAKING UPDATE: Gun Alec Baldwin Fired on the Movie Set Contained 'Live Round,' Prop Masters Union Says

There maybe jail time for the crew. Jail time for Baldwin would be determined if he was on or off set.

BS.

It's the prop master's and possibly the production firearms expert's responsibility. The actor doesn't have to check anything.

Authorities say Baldwin killed 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography, and injured 48-year-old director Joel Souza when he fired a prop gun on the set of “Rust,” a Western film he was filming in New Mexico on Thursday.

UPDATE: According to a prop masters union spokesperson, the gun that shot and killed a cinematographer and injured a director on the set of Alec Baldwin’s film Rust contained a live bullet.

More: [link to insiderpaper.com (secure)]

Alec is a pos of the highest order but this definitely wasn't his fault and it honestly sounds like a setup. There's no reason, whatsoever, for a prop gun to be loaded with live ammo. No reason

Apparently there were crew protests before this happened, hope this was not some drink caused catastrophe

he fired the gun and shot two people so he is defiantly involved!!!!

Chaos on the set of an Alec Baldwin movie?
Alec being abrasive, barking at crew, pissing everyone off and slowing production?

Hard to imagine.

And it wasn't even during the filming of a scene, he deliberately targeted people off-set, threatened them then shot them.

It's not like the camera was rolling, he had to do his bad acting and shoot towards another actor (which by the way could have easily been a scene of him shooting a gun then cut to a scene of someone being hit like it often is).

The whole thing stinks of a premeditated murder, what grievance did he had with the two shot people. Did they offend him, burn him in a contract agreement, or just pissed him off triggering is alpha male celebrity ego.

We don't know but I am hoping more investigation will determine if this really was an accident or actual premeditated murder.

he's the producer, he cut cost, the union crew walked off set, he hired locals....maybe Mr Attitude will do some time

he fired the gun and shot two people so he is defiantly involved!!!!

Reports that she, as head of the camera dept was advocating for her crew before they were fired and replaced.

Reports that she, as head of the camera dept was advocating for her crew before they were fired and replaced.

It's ultimately the responsibility of the operator and weapon holder.

He should have checked the ammo status. If he didn't he's not qualified to wield a weapon in any capacity.

At the minimum he's going to be sued into oblivion for gross negligence and reckless endangerment.

Notes from an old hand:

A "prop" can be a "practical", meaning a working item. Like a lamp. Sometimes the actor turns on a lamp but it only cues a light, sometimes it is a "practical" and the lamp works.

Guns on set would be handled by an 'armorer'. A "real" or "practical" gun may be used. Especially in an "indie" movie, with its lower budget. Old colt .45's in the collection of the armorer are cheaper than manufacturing a fake that looks like an old-timey western 'peace-maker'.

Having worked with guns on indie films, I have seen the armorer work with actors, giving them a quick tutorial and SAFETY LESSON. Rule One is always: 'treat every gun like it is loaded.' Did Baldwin's status lead to the skipping of this important step? Or was he just not paying attention?

There is no acceptable reason for a live round on set. As a previous poster noted, squibs would be used on any targets (people or things) and blanks in the weapon. So it is likely more like what happened to Brandon Lee, a wad from a blank did not discharge from the barrel, and the next shot "cleared" the barrel but with added pressure and velocity. Perhaps they were lining up a shot, the director and the D.P. standing next to each other or in line with each other, very close to the actor and weapon, intending a close-up. Perhaps the camera was rolling and the D.P. was operating the camera (often the case in Indie productions).

I once saw a director (crappy Spanish horror low-budget guy) pick up a pistol (practical), put it on the belly of the armorer's pregnant wife/girlfriend, and pull the trigger. I was freaked, but she didn't react. He was laughing as he walked away and she told me she didn't freak because "George would never have left a loaded (even with a blank) gun lying on the table" so she knew it was empty. Still, violating Rule One. Did Baldwin violate Rule One and jokingly pull the trigger while pointing the gun at his director and D.P.?

Hard to believe even Baldwin would be that stupid. BUT, if he really said (as has been rumored/reported) "no one's ever handed me a hot gun!" then he very well may have done it. Otherwise that statement makes no sense (i.e., he wouldn't be saying that if they were actually filming or about to film).

Questions: were the D.P. and director at the camera? Were they working with their viewfinders deciding on camera position and lens length while the actor/actors were rehearsing? A rehearsal would involve an unloaded gun, if the camera was ready, the gun would have been loaded and "fire in the hole" announced, locking down the set (no movement, no talking) and warning everyone to expect a loud noise.

If we do not learn the EXACT DETAILS I will assume cover-up.

Insurance company should payoff the production and this film should never be released, in my opinion. But The Crow and The Twilight Zone Movie both were released, so it will likely depend on how much is in the can (if they were close to wrap they may continue). I thought when Vic Morrow and two young child actors died on set that John Landis should have never worked again. Tragic then, tragic now. Lots of unanswered questions at this moment.

Do you have any links to these reports?

I was n the movie biz. I call bullshit. Weapons are fired live but the precautions are huge. It seems impossible for this to occur.

Absolutely horseshit here.


Anyone knows that shaking a revolver doesn't quantify blank or live rounds in a firearm.


This is really starting to stink of complete BS and lies now.

That's what I've been wondering.

Was he horsing around?

Were they planning/rehearsing a scene?

If he was pointing the gun at people and pulling the trigger
for fun, that'd make the situation much worse. Though, of
course, it shouldn't have fired a bullet in the
first place regardless.




UPDATE #2: Snopes is claiming the snippet below is FAKE




UPDATE: Looks like this has been possibly answered (UPDATE: APPEARS TO BE FAKE):

[imgur] [link to imgur.com (secure)]
[link to imgur.com (secure)]

Link: [link to twitter.com (secure)]

That's assuming the above is not fake news.


UPDATE #2: Snopes is claiming the snippet ABOVE is FAKE

he's the producer, he cut cost, the union crew walked off set, he hired locals....maybe Mr Attitude will do some time

People keep saying this... NOT on a movie set!

It's the weapon master / property master / armorer who is responsible for the state of the weapon.

If the production related qualified union weapon masters with scab weapon masters, there's your culprit... the untrained scabs.

If there was a live round in it, either the whole production or the armorer are on the hook... NOT Alec. He's just a dumb actor.

Nothing happened to the actor who shot Brandon Lee. There was just a small fine to the movie company, ultimately.