RIP, very sad news about this tragic and preventable accident. :(
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/sheriffs-office-alec-baldwin-discharged-prop-gun-that-killed-crew-member-wounded-director/article_9612afc6-32c5-11ec-9e2e-e3cc47b69ce5.html
https://variety.com/2021/film/news/alec-baldwin-rust-incident-santa-fe-1235094931/
QuoteActor Alec Baldwin discharged a "prop firearm" Thursday on a movie set south of Santa Fe, killing the director of photography for the film he was working on and wounding its director, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said.
QuoteDeadline previously heard from sources that a principal castmember cocked a gun during a rehearsal, unaware that there were live rounds in it, hitting two people, a man and a woman. The man was hit in the shoulder, while the woman was airlifted to the hospital for stomach surgery.
This is a nightmare scenario for the victims and their family but also for Mr. Baldwin (it seems he fired a gun meant to be loaded with blanks).
How do you go on with life after that ?
This has happened a few times in the past. If I'm not mistaken, this is how Brandon Lee, the son of legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee, was tragically killed.
From an article I read - Always liked the film Crow a lot
Tragedy can also strike if the prop gun is improperly loaded, which is what happened to Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, in 1993. He was on the set of his film, "The Crow," shooting a scene that made use of a prop gun that was mishandled. A cartridge with a projectile tip had unknowingly become stuck, and when a blank round was loaded and fired, it pushed the live round out, fatally wounding him. He died hours later, just 28 years old.
Terrible. I remember the death of Brandon Lee like it was yesterday. The Crow is a really good movie too, a favorite of mine.
Can imagine the armorer on the set (or whomever is in charge of weapons) is in for a spot of trouble.
Not to second guess Baldwin, as I'm sure he feels terrible. My prayers are with him and the family of the deceased and injured. But, anyone handling a weapon should personally ensure it is safe, and not depend on the word of an armorer, or anyone else, that it is safe. And even if it is safe, don't point it directly at anyone. Ever.
Quote from: Tripoli on October 22, 2021, 11:24:08 AM
Not to second guess Baldwin, as I'm sure he feels terrible. My prayers are with him and the family of the deceased and injured. But, anyone handling a weapon should personally ensure it is safe, and not depend on the word of an armorer, or anyone else, that it is safe. And even if it is safe, don't point it directly at anyone. Ever.
Agreed 100%. I'm sure more details will come out soon, but the situation just baffles me. He shot two people, so it doesn't sound like it was a situation like Brandon Lee where there was a freak malfunction. I don't want to say anything that comes across like I'm passing judgment on Baldwin, so I'll leave it at "it was preventable."
Quote from: Tripoli on October 22, 2021, 11:24:08 AM
But, anyone handling a weapon should personally ensure it is safe, and not depend on the word of an armorer, or anyone else, that it is safe. And even if it is safe, don't point it directly at anyone. Ever.
For sure, but that sort of action is ingrained in me due to Dad and military time and I'm not going to ascribe what I'd do vs. anyone else.
I didn't see this confirmed, but apparently the armorer took the gun off set between takes, fired live rounds with it, and forgot to clear it. Hard to believe someone would be so negligent in their job, especially someone who I'd expect to be a gun guy.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on October 22, 2021, 06:45:00 AM
This has happened a few times in the past. If I'm not mistaken, this is how Brandon Lee, the son of legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee, was tragically killed.
I remember the story about that. It hurts to watch The Crow sometimes because of what happened.
Quote from: al_infierno on October 22, 2021, 12:39:37 PM
I didn't see this confirmed, but apparently the armorer took the gun off set between takes, fired live rounds with it, and forgot to clear it. Hard to believe someone would be so negligent in their job, especially someone who I'd expect to be a gun guy.
Comfort breeds complacency.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on October 22, 2021, 01:20:10 PM
Quote from: al_infierno on October 22, 2021, 12:39:37 PM
I didn't see this confirmed, but apparently the armorer took the gun off set between takes, fired live rounds with it, and forgot to clear it. Hard to believe someone would be so negligent in their job, especially someone who I'd expect to be a gun guy.
Comfort breeds complacency.
Someone on Reddit pointed out that if this is a film set in the 1800s, they may have been using an authentic Colt from the period, which would certainly be a rare opportunity for any gun nut. I can see how the temptation to take the gun off set was strong, but it's still very baffling to do that with an actor's prop.
Further bits coming out saying where the union folks walked off the set due to safety issues (and some others) recently. Somebody going to be in some deep shit for sure.
From what I'm reading, the armorer on set was quite rookie and probably thrust into the role as a cost cutting measure. There were two accidental (or negligent?) discharges on set in the week leading up to the incident.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/23/entertainment/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-saturday/index.html
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/armorer-alec-baldwin-rust-set-admitted-nervous-abilities
If there were already incidents prior to this then why on earth would anyone believe a gun was safe without triple checking it? #:-) boggles the mind
Quote from: CptHowdy on October 24, 2021, 06:08:07 AM
If there were already incidents prior to this then why on earth would anyone believe a gun was safe without triple checking it? #:-) boggles the mind
Humans.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on October 24, 2021, 06:52:47 AM
Quote from: CptHowdy on October 24, 2021, 06:08:07 AM
If there were already incidents prior to this then why on earth would anyone believe a gun was safe without triple checking it? #:-) boggles the mind
Humans.
Not everybody has the knowledge. If you handed me a gun I could check it 10 times and I still wouldn't know if it was safe or if it was loaded with a real bullet.
The result is that if you gave me a gun I wouldn't point it at anyone, but if I were an actor I would have to trust the people around me. I assume that playing it safe and pointing the gun in the air or at the ground wouldn't look good on camera.
Quote from: Pete Dero on October 24, 2021, 08:10:57 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on October 24, 2021, 06:52:47 AM
Quote from: CptHowdy on October 24, 2021, 06:08:07 AM
If there were already incidents prior to this then why on earth would anyone believe a gun was safe without triple checking it? #:-) boggles the mind
Humans.
Not everybody has the knowledge. If you handed me a gun I could check it 10 times and I still wouldn't know if it was safe or if it was loaded with a real bullet.
The result is that if you gave me a gun I wouldn't point it at anyone, but if I were an actor I would have to trust the people around me. I assume that playing it safe and pointing the gun in the air or at the ground wouldn't look good on camera.
Yes. Not everyone has the knowledge. But the chief armorer on a set responsible for the, you know, arms, should have the knowledge. While anyone who handles a weapon has an obligation to make sure it is safe, the lion's share of culpability here appears to fall on the armorer, not on Baldwin.