Alec Baldwin: on-set 'Rust' shooting - NEW UPDATE

[MikeInOr]

This whole interview and now prosecution just shows how crummy and sleazy he is. He could have handled this with grace and made note that it was simply a tragic set accident and that Hollywood needs to do more when it comes to set safety. Then the blame goes all on the firearm set tech.

Crummy and sleezy; probably. Stupid; DEFINITELY! Or maybe this is a case of any publicity is good publicity?

I think it was said some where previously, this is definitely a great lesson on what NOT TO DO!!!! He put himself in the position he is in currently by his actions AFTER the incident and it is likely going to cost him some pretty substantial legal bills which doesn't make me feel for him in the least!

 

[Ura-Ki]

How many different single action clone models does Uberti make that could be easily modified to fire blanks only and not even chamber a live round? I think even I could alter a Uberti to only chamber blanks in about an hour. Funny how the anti-gunners aren't all over this!

This is how it's done!

With any revolver, all you have to do is drill a hole through each of the the cylinders bores and insert a steal pin and weld the end, the pin physically prevents a loaded cartridge from being inserted into each cylinder bore, Hollywood has been doing this for decades and these jackarse should have known it and gotten the correct weapons to film with!
I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of professional Cowboy actors who explained and even showed me their modded pistols, one even handed me a dummy .45 Colt cartridge and dared me to load it in his pistol!
Done correctly, you can only fit a stubby cartridge with a powder flash charge with a waxed paper cap over top, so you get the flash and bang and smoke, but nothing else!

 

[Ura-Ki]

And, lets not forget Baldy's past history with the Law, several pretty serious assault charges which SHOULD have prevented him from ever even holding a firearm, let alone using one, even in his "Profession"!!

 

[KCKracker]

We need to stop and recognize one huge mistake in this thread!
Someone called Baldwin and a-list actor and that he is definitely not okay you may now proceed.

 

[JRuby]

I would love to know how live ammo was on the set.

 

[hongkong2]

I would love to know how live ammo was on the set.

IIRC some of the cast and crew were shooting live ammo on or near the set...

 

[bbbass]

Edit: Or do you mean making a revolver appear to have live rounds in the cylinder when photographed from the front of the gun? Removing the firing pin is a good idea or have a gun with a solid cylinder machined to look like it is full of ammo????

^^^ this

 

[L84Cabo]

It's hard for me to be objective here because I think Baldwin is a piece of crap human being and deserves everything he gets.

One of the early interviews I saw him give has him saying that he did NOT pull the trigger and that he would NEVER point a gun at someone and pull the trigger. What he did, you see, is pulled the hammer back and then let it go. Sooooo he wouldn't point a gun at someone and pull the trigger but he would TOTALLY point a gun at someone and pull the hammer back and let it go...which could absolutely discharge a round. See, he isn't a total moron...he's just a regular moron.

With that said, I think they're going to have a hard time convincing 12 members of a jury of a manslaughter charge. Hopefully there are some lesser charges of some type of negligence, which they should absolutely be able to make stick because of his heightened responsibility as a producer and clearly the set was pretty lax.

I also found out today from an article that the armorer wasn't even on the set the day of the shooting...due to covid restrictions and keeping the number of people on set to a minimum. She has also sued the company she got the ammo from and contends they were the ones who allowed a live round into the shipment. But I think they're going to have a hard time with a manslaughter charge for her, given she wasn't even on the set of the day of the accident.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

[RedRover]

This was a movie. There weren't supposed to be live rounds at the set. Even manslaughter requires proof as to a mental state of knowingly disregarding a known risk beyond a reasonable doubt. This is a very defensible case. I predict a jury will acquit the actor.

There is never a time when it is allowed to point a real firearm at another person on any film set(even using blanks). Ever since Brandon Lee was killed, rules have been tightened in the industry.

Whenever real firearms are used in films(for desired realistic effect); the use of so-called 'movie magic' is employed -- I.E. camera angles/alternating perspectives, booms, remote control cameras, ballistic shields, split-screen/CGI/green-screen technology, dummies etc. etc. etc. to negate the need for a firearm to be pointed directly at another person.

Only replicas(100% non-functioning as firearms) may be directly pointed at individuals.

Mr. Baldwin has been in the film industry for a very long time, and it is assured that he has recieved firearms safety training during his long tenure starring in action movies and television.

It deserves reiteration that it is NEVER allowed to point the muzzle of a real firearm at another person on ANY film set.

Baldwin pointed a firearm(that he was fully aware was a 100% functioning) at individuals and pulled the trigger. Had he observed the four basic fundamentals of firearms safety, that poor woman would still be alive.

 

[Flopsweat]

See, he isn't a total moron...he's just a regular moron.

I think it's the arrogance and self-importance that give the moronity that pop.

 

[Ura-Ki]

It's hard for me to be objective here because I think Baldwin is a piece of crap human being and deserves everything he gets.

One of the early interviews I saw him give has him saying that he did NOT pull the trigger and that he would NEVER point a gun at someone and pull the trigger. What he did, you see, is pulled the hammer back and then let it go. Sooooo he wouldn't point a gun at someone and pull the trigger but he would TOTALLY point a gun at someone and pull the hammer back and let it go...which could absolutely discharge a round. See, he isn't a total moron...he's just a regular moron.

With that said, I think they're going to have a hard time convincing 12 members of a jury of a manslaughter charge. Hopefully there are some lesser charges of some type of negligence, which they should absolutely be able to make stick because of his heightened responsibility as a producer and clearly the set was pretty lax.

I also found out today from an article that the armorer wasn't even on the set the day of the shooting...due to covid restrictions and keeping the number of people on set to a minimum. She has also sued the company she got the ammo from and contends they were the ones who allowed a live round into the shipment. But I think they're going to have a hard time with a manslaughter charge for her, given she wasn't even on the set of the day of the accident.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

I did a Quick and Dirty dig on Ol Baldy's Criminal record, he has at least 7 assault cases where charges were filed against him in the past, including ONE where he was actually charged ( No details stating if the charges stuck or the outcome of that case Nov 2018) He is WELL KNOWN to be a hot head with a short temper and is prone to violence, which the cases above prove! I suspect the details of his assault and battery case will play out in this manslaughter case now, showing his arrogance and willful disregard for others safety as well as his explosive temper, that can only work against him, and I hope the Court and Jury get to hear all about him! I just don't see a Jury being sympathetic toward him, nor any judge!

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Read an article today that says a few things that make sense.

1. It was a single action revolver with a light trigger. If he had his finger in the trigger guard and released the hammer it could have fired.
2. The Starline brass cartridges (cases marked with 2 stars connected by a curved line) being used are not ever manufactured as anything but just empty cartridge cases. However, at some point one of the suppliers of dummy rounds for movies for some reason made live reloads using Starline brass. There are no holes drilled in the brass, but there is a BB inside instead of powder. The Starline brass dummies the movie supplier used gold colored dummy primers and had actual bullets loaded in the cases. The reloaded cases had live silver colored primers and powder behind the real bullets. It appears that some of those reloads were somehow mixed in with the dummy rounds on the set, and the armorer would not have been suspicious of them unless they were closely inspected. Whether they were included in a shipment to the set or got mixed in on the set nobody knows. If this is true I would save some blame for the idiot movie supplier who knew that standard Starline cases were known throughout the industry to be dummy rounds, but loaded the Starline brass rounds with powder anyway.
3. The person who handed the gun to Baldwin reportedly shook the gun and heard BBs rattling. and shouted that is was a "cold" gun, but the standard of behavior is that nobody but the armorer can declare a gun cold or hand it to the actor.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Even with all the bad publicity and the fact he's gonna be charged with 2 counts of manslaughter.... a lot of people are standing behind him, it's safer than standing in front of him

 

[Flopsweat]

Read an article today that says a few things that make sense.

1. It was a single action revolver with a light trigger. If he had his finger in the trigger guard and released the hammer it could have fired.
2. The Star brass cartridges (cases marked with 2 stars connected by a curved line) being used are not ever manufactured as anything but dummy rounds. However, at some point one of the suppliers of dummy rounds for some reason made live reloads using Star brass. There are no holes drilled in the brass, but there is a BB inside instead of powder. The Star brass uses gold colored dummy primers and have actual bullets loaded in the cases. The reloaded cases had live silver colored primers and powder behind the real bullets. It appears that some of those reloads were somehow mixed in with the dummy rounds on the set, and the armorer would not have been suspicious of them. Whether they were included in a shipment to the set or got mixed in on the set nobody knows. If this is true I would save some blame for the idiot who knew that standard Star rounds were known throughout the industry to be dummy rounds, but loaded the Star brass rounds with powder anyway.
3. The person who handed the gun to Baldwin reportedly shook the gun and heard BBs rattling. and shouted that is was a "cold" gun, but the standard of behavior is that nobody but the armorer can declare a gun cold or hand it to the actor.

It almost sounds like someone onsite might have made hand loads to target shoot with, and used some empty brass from fired blanks.

 

[HotRodGuy]

It's hard for me to be objective here because I think Baldwin is a piece of crap human being and deserves everything he gets.

One of the early interviews I saw him give has him saying that he did NOT pull the trigger and that he would NEVER point a gun at someone and pull the trigger. What he did, you see, is pulled the hammer back and then let it go. Sooooo he wouldn't point a gun at someone and pull the trigger but he would TOTALLY point a gun at someone and pull the hammer back and let it go...which could absolutely discharge a round. See, he isn't a total moron...he's just a regular moron.

With that said, I think they're going to have a hard time convincing 12 members of a jury of a manslaughter charge. Hopefully there are some lesser charges of some type of negligence, which they should absolutely be able to make stick because of his heightened responsibility as a producer and clearly the set was pretty lax.

I also found out today from an article that the armorer wasn't even on the set the day of the shooting...due to covid restrictions and keeping the number of people on set to a minimum. She has also sued the company she got the ammo from and contends they were the ones who allowed a live round into the shipment. But I think they're going to have a hard time with a manslaughter charge for her, given she wasn't even on the set of the day of the accident.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

I think if the prosecutor has half a brain, negligence would be easy to show. He knew there had been live ammo on the set as people were shooting targets on down time and there had already been 2 negligent discharges on set. Add that he was handling a firearm on set without the armorer on location shows negligence as the armorer should be there to call status on all guns before and after they are handled by the idiots in front of the cameras.

Personally, I think he will get $ from his Hollywood buddies and pay off the jury as most famous people do.

 

[Flopsweat]

I think if the prosecutor has half a brain, negligence would be easy to show. He knew there had been live ammo on the set as people were shooting targets on down time and there had already been 2 negligent discharges on set. Add that he was handling a firearm on set without the armorer on location shows negligence as the armorer should be there to call status on all guns before and after they are handled by the idiots in front of the cameras.

Personally, I think he will get $ from his Hollywood buddies and pay off the jury as most famous people do.

Well put!

 

[Lilhigbee]

The Star brass cartridges (cases marked with 2 stars connected by a curved line) being used are not ever manufactured as anything but dummy rounds.

That headstamp is Starline brass and is loaded as live ammunition by the millions every year.
https://www.starlinebrass.com

 

[Flopsweat]

That headstamp is Starline brass and is loaded as live ammunition by the millions every year.
https://www.starlinebrass.com

Well there's yer problem...

 

[ZigZagZeke]

That headstamp is Starline brass and is loaded as live ammunition by the millions every year.
https://www.starlinebrass.com

If that's true then the article I read was trash. The information in the article supposedly came from another movie armorer. Perhaps they meant to say that the Starline brass is never made into functional rounds by the movie set suppliers, except that one if them did at some point and got them mixed in with dummy rounds.

 

[Catfishmoon]

That headstamp is Starline brass and is loaded as live ammunition by the millions every year.
https://www.starlinebrass.com

Good catch...
I have about 2000 of those cases in 9mm I use when reloading for bullseye shooting... It is very good brass.