Alec Baldwin...

[WildflowerMom]

Have y'all heard about this?    I feel awful for him.    He accidentally killed a cinematographer and shot his film director.   
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/sheriffs-office-stars-prop-firearm-kills-one-injures-another/article_9612afc6-32c5-11ec-9e2e-e3cc47b69ce5.html

Edited October 22, 2021 by WildflowerMom
Left out a letter

[Kassia]

2 minutes ago, WildflowerMom said:

Have y'all heard about this?    I feel awful for him.    He accidentally killed a cinematographer and shot his film director.   
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/sheriffs-office-stars-prop-firearm-kills-one-injures-another/article_9612afc6-32c5-11ec-9e2e-e3cc47b69ce5.html

I feel awful too.  What a terrible accident.  I'll be interested to see exactly what happened when more details come out.

[mommyoffive]

Yeah I just heard that on the news.  

[Dmmetler]

I really wonder who was managing the prop shop! As I understand it, prop guns aren’t supposed to be capable of actually firing, let alone be loaded! 

[Katy]

3 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

I really wonder who was managing the prop shop! As I understand it, prop guns aren’t supposed to be capable of actually firing, let alone be loaded! 

I thought they were real guns that fired blanks, which can kill anyone within 10 feet.  And I thought there were supposed to be multiple safeguards to make sure that didn’t happen. 

[MercyA]

How terrible. 😞 I feel awful for everyone.

[WildflowerMom]

I just can't imagine anyone on set, not to mention Alec, himself, ever getting past this.    I remember when it happened to Bruce Lee's son and I think it was really devastating for the industry.  

[kbutton]

Wow. What a horrible accident.

The first time I ever heard of blanks for guns killing people is when I’d watch Voyager! as a kid, and my mom told me about that actor’s death.

[stephanier.1765]

According to the article I read, they aren't supposed to point towards any crew member. Editing is what makes it seem as if they do. So I wonder if the shot hit some equipment, it ricocheted into the cinematographer, and some pieces of the equipment wounded the director. I feel awful for all concerned. I can't imagine getting past that.

[mommyoffive]

What is the prop gun Alec Baldwin used, and why are they still on film sets? (msn.com)

Crew member dies, another injured after Alec Baldwin fires prop gun on set, officials say (msn.com)

 

I thought on the news it said they also had to have shields in place?  

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

I really wonder who was managing the prop shop! As I understand it, prop guns aren’t supposed to be capable of actually firing, let alone be loaded! 

they fire blanks - blanks will fire the cartridge -but's otherwise empty compared to a live round.  Still potentially dangerous.

 

I'm sure the first thing they'll be doing is determining if it was a blank (supposedly it was one shot), or live ammo.  Then what happened on how both were hit by one bullet.  were they actually filming when it happened?  or rehearsing? 

apparently there are some very-high tech safety protocols Hollywood has yet to implement, I assume because of cost.

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

Wow. What a horrible accident.

The first time I ever heard of blanks for guns killing people is when I’d watch Voyager! as a kid, and my mom told me about that actor’s death.

huh?

I'd heard of the one on Ben-Hur (though it was the 1925 version, not the 1959 version).  And Vic Morrow and the helicopter crash during filming of The Twilight Zone movie.

[Beth S]

I remember the 1984 self-inflicted gunshot to the head that killed actor Jon Erik-Hexum.
He didn't realize that shooting blanks at close range would be fatal.
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/22/1048295916/props-gun-death-injuries-rust-movie-set-rare

Oh, this is terrible.

 

[Murphy101]

2 hours ago, WildflowerMom said:

I just can't imagine anyone on set, not to mention Alec, himself, ever getting past this.    I remember when it happened to Bruce Lee's son and I think it was really devastating for the industry.  

As it should be. 😣

[kbutton]

15 minutes ago, Beth S said:

I remember the 1984 self-inflicted gunshot to the head that killed actor Jon Erik-Hexum.
He didn't realize that shooting blanks at close range would be fatal.
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/22/1048295916/props-gun-death-injuries-rust-movie-set-rare

Oh, this is terrible.

 

@gardenmom5, this was the actor in Voyager!

[gardenmom5]

21 minutes ago, kbutton said:

@gardenmom5, this was the actor in Voyager!

I realize you were referring to that.  I don't know the incident and was asking.  I had heard of the incidents I mentioned - but not that one.  I was asking for more information.

[kbutton]

23 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I realize you were referring to that.  I don't know the incident and was asking.  I had heard of the incidents I mentioned - but not that one.  I was asking for more information.

The article that Beth S posted referenced that incident, but I will see what I can find.

https://www.newsweek.com/jon-erik-hexum-prop-gun-shooting-alec-baldwin-rust-1641547

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/jon-erik-hexum-alec-baldwin-shooting-b1943561.html

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

The article that Beth S posted referenced that incident, but I will see what I can find.

https://www.newsweek.com/jon-erik-hexum-prop-gun-shooting-alec-baldwin-rust-1641547

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/jon-erik-hexum-alec-baldwin-shooting-b1943561.html

I read "Voyagers!" wrong.  So it left me confused.  I also read an article about deaths on movie sets. (which was explicit about the manner of death of Vic Morrow and the two child actors while they were filming a scene. - deep breath)  The article covered his - but I passed right on by because I read kbuttons comment as "Voyager".  (I only scanned the article, and not even sure it mentioned "Voyagers!" because it was a completely different movie where he died.

[katilac]

6 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

I really wonder who was managing the prop shop! As I understand it, prop guns aren’t supposed to be capable of actually firing, let alone be loaded! 

Oh, they fire! They have gunpowder (the propellant) in them, but they are meant to use something less harmful (cotton, wax, paper) instead of a metal projectile (what we think of when we say bullet). 

Having seen an abundance of super hero movies over the last few years, I think it's absurd for any movie maker to claim they can't replicate the sound or the muzzle flash of a gun firing. Just ridiculous to risk injury and death to fire prop guns. Yes, it should be safe if every last protocol is followed, but there is no need to take that chance. 

[WildflowerMom]

Here's some new info I hadn't heard about...   Apparently there was a serious issue with safety on the set.  

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alec-baldwin-rust-camera-crew-193409810.html

[Terabith]

2 hours ago, WildflowerMom said:

Here's some new info I hadn't heard about...   Apparently there was a serious issue with safety on the set.  

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alec-baldwin-rust-camera-crew-193409810.html

Yikes!!!

[bookbard]

 

4 hours ago, WildflowerMom said:

Here's some new info I hadn't heard about...   Apparently there was a serious issue with safety on the set.  

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alec-baldwin-rust-camera-crew-193409810.html

Crazy to read this just days after posting about these issues in the film industry. It's terribly wrong and it seems to be all about a few people getting rich at the expense of other people's lives. 

[Excelsior! Academy]

Apparently it had a live bullet inside.  How is this possible?

 https://www.yahoo.com/now/prop-gun-fired-alec-baldwin-170000901.html

[katilac]

5 hours ago, WildflowerMom said:

Here's some new info I hadn't heard about...   Apparently there was a serious issue with safety on the set.  

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alec-baldwin-rust-camera-crew-193409810.html

Wow, that text message is going to nail somebody to the wall. 

[WildflowerMom]

1 hour ago, bookbard said:

 

Crazy to read this just days after posting about these issues in the film industry. It's terribly wrong and it seems to be all about a few people getting rich at the expense of other people's lives. 

That is exactly what it is.   It's A-ok as long as lower wage employees or women are exploited.  Goodness forbid, a wealthy man gets the same treatment.  

[WildflowerMom]

So if Alec was a producer, and there were obvious safety problems on set, wouldn't he have been aware and possibly one of the people who should've dealt with it?  

[Lawyer&Mom]

I have zero worries about Alec Baldwin, the actor’s criminal liability.  I have concerns about Alec Baldwin, the producer’s financial liability.  Those texts are a wrongful death case waiting to happen.  I hope they ban real guns on sets.  Why take the risk, when we have such easy post-production fixes?

[gardenmom5]

3 hours ago, Excelsior! Academy said:

Apparently it had a live bullet inside.  How is this possible?

 https://www.yahoo.com/now/prop-gun-fired-alec-baldwin-170000901.html

This information is questionable.  It came from union reps who had no members on set.  (and were angry they had been replaced with locals.)

It is still being investigated as to what it was.

[Acorn]

I read a different article but can’t find which one that said having a blank in the gun was called a live round.  I have been surprised to read how dangerous the blanks can be. We could certainly replicate the sound with special effects. 
 

ETA:

here’s one article referring to a live gun holding a blank https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indiewire.com/2021/10/alec-baldwin-fires-gun-kills-cinematographer-wounds-director-on-rust-set-1234673555/amp/

Such a sad and needless tragedy.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Acorn

[Guest]

14 hours ago, katilac said:

Oh, they fire! They have gunpowder (the propellant) in them, but they are meant to use something less harmful (cotton, wax, paper) instead of a metal projectile (what we think of when we say bullet). 

Having seen an abundance of super hero movies over the last few years, I think it's absurd for any movie maker to claim they can't replicate the sound or the muzzle flash of a gun firing. Just ridiculous to risk injury and death to fire prop guns. Yes, it should be safe if every last protocol is followed, but there is no need to take that chance. 

This is what I was talking about with dh yesterday. I cannot believe it is not possible (though I am sure it’s less convenient) to have 100% fake guns that look real and then edit in muzzle flash or whatever else is needed for realism. If directors can make video footage of JFK seem to say Forest Gump needs to pee, it surely is manageable to edit dummy guns by now. And as I understand it, they already dub in sound effects because guns do not sound IRL the way they sound in movies. 

[ktgrok]

9 hours ago, Excelsior! Academy said:

Apparently it had a live bullet inside.  How is this possible?

 https://www.yahoo.com/now/prop-gun-fired-alec-baldwin-170000901.html

Supposedly a blank round is also considered a live round. I'm familiar with guns, but not with blanks. 

[Lanny]

I read there were three (3) guns on the Set.  He was told the gun was "Cold" (unloaded) when it was handed to him. 

First rule when people begin to handle firearms is that there are no "unloaded" weapons. Always assume a weapon is loaded!

Second rule is not to point a weapon at something/someone you do not want to kill if necessary.

Sadly there are many accidents where people are killed by "unloaded" guns.

[fairfarmhand]

2 hours ago, Lanny said:

I read there were three (3) guns on the Set.  He was told the gun was "Cold" (unloaded) when it was handed to him. 

First rule when people begin to handle firearms is that there are no "unloaded" weapons. Always assume a weapon is loaded!

Second rule is not to point a weapon at something/someone you do not want to kill if necessary.

Sadly there are many accidents where people are killed by "unloaded" guns.

I wonder what training actors are given when handling weapons. Because our whole family’s first instinct when handed a weapon is to check if it’s clear. Even ifthe person who handed it to just cleared it. When my dh and his brothers get together to shoot, it’s ridiculous how much clearing of weapons happens just because it’s such an ingrained habit. 
 

(not saying that the actor is at fault at all, I’m just curious about how this is handled. Obviously handing weapons to someone with little training is a terrible idea. And if some intense training for all actors who handle anything but a plastic mock up of a gun would help it might be a good idea. Because mistakes happen.)

I do not understand why they don’t go to fake weapons that cannot truly fire. Is there a reason?

 

eta: this was a terrible accident. The actor did not intentionally murder someone but it was an accident. Just like when other things happen and someone dies on set. I’m sure Baldwin and so many on set are going over and over the things that happened that day and figuring out how it happened and all the “if onlys”. 
 

eta: I have no knowledge of the actors political views. Does that make a difference as to whether it was an accident?

Edited October 23, 2021 by fairfarmhand

[PeterPan]

So the news is finally digging in on the obvious issue here, that a population (Hollywood) has spent so much time in anti-gun rhetoric that when they idiotically put one in their uneducated, hick hollywood hands, they don't know what they're doing.

https://www.newsweek.com/alec-baldwin-nra-guns-rights-activists-gun-control-halyna-hutchins-rust-1641671

10 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

not saying that the actor is at fault at all,

Of COURSE he's at fault? Why should he get some pass?? He wasn't giving anyone a pass with his anti-gun rhetoric over the years. Read his quotes. NRA people are PILING UP BODIES and no one has a right to so many guns. But if it's Hollywood, oh that's occpational hazard, look the other way. 

You don't let a chimpanzee drive a car and then complain when it crashes. 

[Farrar]

I'm still confused about why a blank was able to do this. I get that blanks can be super dangerous, especially up close. But this blank went through one person and killed another. I thought they were essentially made out of paper that broke apart after being shot. Potentially dangerous and even fatal if up close, but... after grazing one person, going through the shoulder of another... it still had enough force to hit someone and kill them? 

I'll be curious to hear if anything comes of the mostly discredited reports that he may have jokingly threatened the director beforehand. 

I don't think his political views are really relevant here. They're obviously not relevant to his liability in the death from a legal standpoint. I suppose you could make a case that Hollywood films like this glorify gun violence so he's being hypocritical by participating in one, but it's an historical film and an imaginary story and I don't really buy that line of thinking personally, at least not on the micro level of a single film. On a macro level, maybe. But then Alec Baldwin cannot be held responsible for the fact that Americans like gritty movies with guns or that there are a lot of them.

[Farrar]

Adding that my guess is that no one person will have enough liability for much to happen in response to this in terms of punishments. The armorer, whoever oversaw the armorer, whoever oversaw safety overall, whoever literally said the gun was cold, the director, the producers, possibly Baldwin as an actor (if he was aiming toward them when he should not have been?)... my guess is while all of them bear some level of blame, none of them will be legally responsible enough for this to be penalized in any serious way. Though I assume the film is doomed.

[AnotherNewName]

27 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

So the news is finally digging in on the obvious issue here, that a population (Hollywood) has spent so much time in anti-gun rhetoric that when they idiotically put one in their uneducated, hick hollywood hands, they don't know what they're doing.

https://www.newsweek.com/alec-baldwin-nra-guns-rights-activists-gun-control-halyna-hutchins-rust-1641671

Of COURSE he's at fault? Why should he get some pass?? He wasn't giving anyone a pass with his anti-gun rhetoric over the years. Read his quotes. NRA people are PILING UP BODIES and no one has a right to so many guns. But if it's Hollywood, oh that's occpational hazard, look the other way. 

You don't let a chimpanzee drive a car and then complain when it crashes. 

Well this post certainly is...something.

First, Hollywood sets using firearms are required to have trained armorers on site managing all the weapons.  The armorer is responsible for handling all the numerous safety protocols and I would say the fact that we can count the number of deaths from accidents on set the past 30+ years on one hand would indicate the procedures are well thought out. But humans are human and accidents do happen.  I think it is fair to say if all gun owners followed procedures this strict then we would have far fewer accidental shootings in our country.

Second, why is he at fault again? Because of his political views?  Surely you don't believe criminal prosecutions should be based on political beliefs...right?  Honestly it is disgusting for anyone to use a tragedy like this tp push a personal agenda. Do better.

[PeterPan]

12 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I don't think his political views are really relevant here.

People were asking what could be done about it and the obvious solution was for him to have been required to take a gun safety class before using a weapon. He spent years saying the NRA was PILING UP BODIES when NRA members are extremely gun safety conscious and would NEVER let their loved ones touch a weapon without training and would NEVER assume what they were told was correct but would check the weapon themselves. But in his arrogance he said he could farm that out and that they were hicks. 

So it's worse than a chimp driving a car. He was a chimp with a gun.

8 minutes ago, Farrar said:

liability

The articles are parsing out civil vs. criminal liability.

4 minutes ago, AnotherNewName said:

First, Hollywood sets using firearms are required to have trained armorers on site managing all the weapons. 

So you're ok with someone who has never had a gun safety course using a lethal weapon? Or are we assuming AB *did* take a gun safety course? Requiring a gun safety course before you use a gun would put the armorer in their property place, as the assurer of safety, not the babysitter of someone unqualified to do what they're doing.

 

[AnotherNewName]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

People were asking what could be done about it and the obvious solution was for him to have been required to take a gun safety class before using a weapon. He spent years saying the NRA was PILING UP BODIES when NRA members are extremely gun safety conscious and would NEVER let their loved ones touch a weapon without training and would NEVER assume what they were told was correct but would check the weapon themselves. But in his arrogance he said he could farm that out and that they were hicks. 

So it's worse than a chimp driving a car. He was a chimp with a gun.

The articles are parsing out civil vs. criminal liability.

So you're ok with someone who has never had a gun safety course using a lethal weapon? Or are we assuming AB *did* take a gun safety course? Requiring a gun safety course before you use a gun would put the armorer in their property place, as the assurer of safety, not the babysitter of someone unqualified to do what they're doing.

 

U.S. gun owners were responsible for 458 accidental gun deaths in 2020 alone.  Are you seriously arguing no NRA member has ever been involved in an accidental shooting? (Hint: they have.)

Where did Baldwin say he could farm out gun safety? Do you think he made the rules the studios follow?  (Hint: he didn't.)

I have no idea if AB took a gun safety class. And for all this wine-soaked hysteria about "He should have checked the weapon!!!!!!!!!" you are forgetting that 1.) he was handed a firearm by a trained expert who is being paid to make them safe to be used on set, and 2.) the weapon *should* appear loaded to him - he didn't fire a gun he thought was empty.

[TexasProud]

11 minutes ago, AnotherNewName said:

 

I have no idea if AB took a gun safety class. And for all this wine-soaked hysteria about "He should have checked the weapon!!!!!!!!!" you are forgetting that 1.) he was handed a firearm by a trained expert who is being paid to make them safe to be used on set, and 2.) the weapon *should* appear loaded to him - he didn't fire a gun he thought was empty.

I am sorry but anyone who knows ANYTHING about guns knows you check them yourself. I hate guns, but have fired a few, even got my concealed gun license because hubby wanted me to. Though it has now lapsed because I will never, ever carry one. You always check. Always. 

That said, I feel for him. Because another rule of gun safety is you never point it at anything you are not willing to shoot. However, on a movie, you are pointing it at the camera because they want that camera angle.  So I would think you often point at things you don't really want to shoot. 

Just a sad situation. But yes, you are responsible the minute you put your hand on a gun. It is why I hate them and am nervous even though I have triple checked they are empty. I could never, ever pull the trigger on a person, so I really don't need to have one. 

[Idalou]

20 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

People were asking what could be done about it and the obvious solution was for him to have been required to take a gun safety class before using a weapon. He spent years saying the NRA was PILING UP BODIES when NRA members are extremely gun safety conscious and would NEVER let their loved ones touch a weapon without training and would NEVER assume what they were told was correct but would check the weapon themselves. But in his arrogance he said he could farm that out and that they were hicks. 

So it's worse than a chimp driving a car. He was a chimp with a gun.

The articles are parsing out civil vs. criminal liability.

So you're ok with someone who has never had a gun safety course using a lethal weapon? Or are we assuming AB *did* take a gun safety course? Requiring a gun safety course before you use a gun would put the armorer in their property place, as the assurer of safety, not the babysitter of someone unqualified to do what they're doing.

 

 We don't know if he ever had safety class. Are you really saying NRA members are all extremely gun safety conscious? Because there's at least one state that requires no training at all for ownership. You'd think the NRA would be fighting tooth and nail for training to be part of ownership. But they don't. It's not the NRA of your early years. It's a political arm. 

[Moonhawk]

I'm also seeing reports that there was a malfunction when he was unholstering the weapon, he hadn't actually aimed/fired when the accident happened. Interested to see if this is confirmed.  (eta crossing out until substantiated or not, to stop false news if it's not true) He was given the gun by the AD, not the armourer, which is weird, but the gun should have been checked 2-3 times before it is even handed to the actor. Regardless of if the actor has gun experience, there are others directly responsible for the state of the gun before it ever reaches their hands, and it is not the actor's responsibility. He was given a tool for his job, and told by the trained professionals it was ready and in good shape to do his job. 

There are so many [human error] fails that had to happen, and yet there were 3 other accidental misfires on this set that led to others to walk off the job.

So something systemic, particular to this set, was wrong here. I would not blame an actor, regardless of their name or fame, in this instance. 

eta to agree with @Acorn, what is called "live" on a set is not what someone at a gun range considers live. It is a blank being loaded on a set at all times, not a literal live round meant to penetrate. Just to be clear since it seems like a confusing thing. 

Edited October 23, 2021 by Moonhawk

[PeterPan]

4 minutes ago, TexasProud said:

However, on a movie, you are pointing it at the camera because they want that camera angle. 

The articles I found were saying there's *not* a person behind the camera when they shoot at a camera.

[AnotherNewName]

6 minutes ago, TexasProud said:

I am sorry but anyone who knows ANYTHING about guns knows you check them yourself. I hate guns, but have fired a few, even got my concealed gun license because hubby wanted me to. Though it has now lapsed because I will never, ever carry one. You always check. Always. 

That said, I feel for him. Because another rule of gun safety is you never point it at anything you are not willing to shoot. However, on a movie, you are pointing it at the camera because they want that camera angle.  So I would think you often point at things you don't really want to shoot. 

Just a sad situation. But yes, you are responsible the minute you put your hand on a gun. It is why I hate them and am nervous even though I have triple checked they are empty. I could never, ever pull the trigger on a person, so I really don't need to have one. 

Check what?  He didn't think he was handed an unloaded gun. He was being handed a gun which was supposed to be safe to fire on the set.  They hire someone specifically trained to prepare the weapons.  

Every one of you is now expecting him to remove the round from the cylinder to try and identify if it is a blank or a live round.  That is not his job, not a job he is trained for, and is not the safety protocol for Hollywood sets.

[Idalou]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

So the news is finally digging in on the obvious issue here, that a population (Hollywood) has spent so much time in anti-gun rhetoric that when they idiotically put one in their uneducated, hick hollywood hands, they don't know what they're doing.

https://www.newsweek.com/alec-baldwin-nra-guns-rights-activists-gun-control-halyna-hutchins-rust-1641671

Of COURSE he's at fault? Why should he get some pass?? He wasn't giving anyone a pass with his anti-gun rhetoric over the years. Read his quotes. NRA people are PILING UP BODIES and no one has a right to so many guns. But if it's Hollywood, oh that's occpational hazard, look the other way. 

You don't let a chimpanzee drive a car and then complain when it crashes. 

 Your own words about Hollywood here show exactly why we can not have discussions about guns in this country. Each side has their own hysterical screechings faction and you are playing right along. And then those outliers on the other side will try to totally excuse the happenings while they rest of us sit dumbfounded and worrying that we are indeed effed.

But yes, as an older tweet of his asks, he will now know what it feels like to wrongly end a life with a gun. I am fairly certain it will haunt him forever, because it was a terrible accident that did not need to happen. Just as I'm sure the NRA and assorted bots will tweet and retweet stupid comments and memes for weeks, as will past and present politicians.

There is a difference between anti gun and pro gun control. I do not think he was anti gun as you accused. But certainly he was very active in ending the political pull of the NRA. He was made more popular and unpopular with his twitter battles with Dana, and his SNL portrayals, and these 2 alone will guarantee him top billing on certain infotainment media. Because this is  how America rolls. Keep the fanatical outliers unhinged to further a party's ability to stay or regain power with an added bonus of higher ratings and big bucks for industry.

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by Idalou

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, AnotherNewName said:

Every one of you is now expecting him to remove the round from the cylinder to try and identify if it is a blank or a live round.  That is not his job, not a job he is trained for, and is not the safety protocol for Hollywood sets.

Exactly. He should have been trained. 

[AnotherNewName]

2 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Exactly. He should have been trained. 

Nonsense.  And FWIW NRA training doesn't teach someone to identify blanks from live rounds.

[Pawz4me]

I don’t have a dog in this fight but it seems looney tunes to me to make the argument that in the course of making a movie an actor filming a scene should (somehow) check the weapon he’s using. I mean—how would that work?? They stop filming while each actor checks each weapon? Or edit out all that. Or what?

[TexasProud]

4 minutes ago, AnotherNewName said:

Check what?  He didn't think he was handed an unloaded gun. He was being handed a gun which was supposed to be safe to fire on the set.  They hire someone specifically trained to prepare the weapons.  

Every one of you is now expecting him to remove the round from the cylinder to try and identify if it is a blank or a live round.  That is not his job, not a job he is trained for, and is not the safety protocol for Hollywood sets.

EVERYONE WHO HANDLES A GUN SHOULD BE TRAINED. Full stop. I am SO SO SO for gun control and for gun safety education.  Having a gun is a huge responsibility. 

The safety protocol must change. Though it sounds like they are several issues on this set. So it could be a failure on several parts, but no way am I going to take anyone's word for it. Especially since it doesn't matter if he is criminally or civilly responsible.  I really feel for him because now he will see that scene in his mind over, and over, and over and over. For that I feel so incredibly sorry for him.

But the protocols must change, not only for him, but for the poor victims in this case.

[TexasProud]

1 minute ago, Pawz4me said:

I don’t have a dog in this fight but it seems looney tunes to me to make the argument that in the course of making a movie an actor filming a scene should (somehow) check the weapon he’s using. I mean—how would that work?? They stop filming while each actor checks each weapon? Or edit out all that. Or what?

Before they start filming, I would check it.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Lanny said:

I read there were three (3) guns on the Set.  He was told the gun was "Cold" (unloaded) when it was handed to him. 

First rule when people begin to handle firearms is that there are no "unloaded" weapons. Always assume a weapon is loaded!

Second rule is not to point a weapon at something/someone you do not want to kill if necessary.

Sadly there are many accidents where people are killed by "unloaded" guns.

That’s exactly what my dh said, as a gun owner. But I also think those rules are different on a movie set because an actor is definitely going to point a gun at subjects they don’t intend to kill. It is logical that they will not behave as if the gun is “hot” because no gun in a set should ever be hot.