Bizarre story with Alec Baldwin

[Jockey]

I still maintain someone getting hit with negligence is a possibility

Looking more and more like this was due to negligence more than just being an accident as more info comes out. Gun had caused problems before and producers had gotten an email complaining about it just a few days prior.

[Sir Lawrence]

I'm wondering why the gun was pointed at the director of photography, not an actor.  Odd.

[tower912]

A close up shot of him firing, perhaps at a slight angle.

[Hards Alumni]

I'm wondering why the gun was pointed at the director of photography, not an actor.  Odd.

Just spitballing here, but an actor aiming a gun at the camera or some THING usually tracks better than just picking a spot on the wall.

[rocket surgeon]

there are supposed to be armorers or weapon masters and assistants  present at ALL productions where ANY gun is involved.  they are responsible for checking, loading and advising the actors properly.  the actors themselves should always handle the gun(s) as if it were loaded with a live round.  trust AND verify. 

i believe baldwin is a world class a$$hole, but i really do feel bad for him and worse for the actor who died and the one who was injured.  he has to live with this incident and wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy

[cheebs09]

I'm wondering why the gun was pointed at the director of photography, not an actor.  Odd.

I read an article that mentioned typically the actors are staggered when firing the gun to avoid this from happening.

It will be interesting as more comes out. Most articles I've read mentioned this isn't out of the realm of possibility with these guns. There is some risk.

[MuggsyB]

there are supposed to be armorers or weapon masters and assistants  present at ALL productions where ANY gun is involved.  they are responsible for checking, loading and advising the actors properly.  the actors themselves should always handle the gun(s) as if it were loaded with a live round.  trust AND verify. 

i believe baldwin is a world class a$$hole, but i really do feel bad for him and worse for the actor who died and the one who was injured.  he has to live with this incident and wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy

Yes.  I would think there are all sorts of protocols and safety precautions.  That's why I find this story so strange and that someone or ones will be held responsible.

[Hards Alumni]

there are supposed to be armorers or weapon masters and assistants  present at ALL productions where ANY gun is involved.  they are responsible for checking, loading and advising the actors properly.  the actors themselves should always handle the gun(s) as if it were loaded with a live round.  trust AND verify. 

i believe baldwin is a world class a$$hole, but i really do feel bad for him and worse for the actor who died and the one who was injured.  he has to live with this incident and wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy

Agree.

[jesmu84]

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-10-22/alec-baldwin-rust-camera-crew-walked-off-set?s=09

[MuggsyB]

It sounds like the Assistant Director told Baldwin the "gun was safe'?.  Beyond messed up.  It appears protocols were not followed at all.

[Warriors4ever]

And of course we remember that possibly facing lawsuits is not the same as being charged criminally, lawsuits will probably end up being filed against the production company and those involved in protocols, I would think.
It's terrible all the way around.

[Jockey]

The big unanswered question is....

Why was a live round in the chamber?

Big question #2....

Who placed it there?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

My wife's theory is some deranged Trumpie slipped in a live bullet 'to get back at A Baldwin for playing Trump on SNL."

[MU82]

Now Obama's gonna take away all the prop guns.

[Hards Alumni]

My wife's theory is some deranged Trumpie slipped in a live bullet 'to get back at A Baldwin for playing Trump on SNL."

Lost in the sauce tho.

[Jay Bee]

Union is to blame, aina

[Billy Hoyle]

It sounds like the Assistant Director told Baldwin the "gun was safe'?.  Beyond messed up.  It appears protocols were not followed at all.

I've read she was a "rookie" armorer and was hired via nepotism after a career as a model.

What could go wrong? Oh, wait. That.

[Jockey]

Why is live ammunition even available on the set?

Why are actual guns used?

[CTWarrior]

Why is live ammunition even available on the set?

Why are actual guns used?

This.  It seems like if you don't have any live rounds anywhere on set and you make sure the guns are emptied before bringing them on set, this would never happen.  Again, I don't know the movie business, but it seems this could be prevented by very modest means and a simplest procedures.  It has to be either criminal neglect or intentional, one would think.

[MuggsyB]

The big unanswered question is....

Why was a live round in the chamber?

Big question #2....

Who placed it there?

It may even go beyond the live round.  From what I have read a prop gun cannot fire a blank.  So was this actually shot from a real gun?  What in the H is going on here?

[cheebs09]

It may even go beyond the live round.  From what I have read a prop gun cannot fire a blank.  So was this actually shot from a real gun?  What in the H is going on here?

I thought the risk with these was a blank is still a projectile, so there's still a risk, although much, much lower.

[MuggsyB]

I thought the risk with these was a blank is still a projectile, so there's still a risk, although much, much lower.

Do we know how far away the gun was fired from the the victim?  If this was a real gun?  WTF?  Crazy, crazy, crazy.  They should be able to determine if it was a live round from an actual gun.  I'm not blaming Baldwin but wouldn't he know if the gun he was holding was real? 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

There is a TMZ report this afternoon that set workers were stealing the pistol afterhours (after filming shut down for the evening) for target practice and then putting it back before morning.

[MuggsyB]

There is a TMZ report this afternoon that set workers were stealing the pistol afterhours (after filming shut down for the evening) for target practice and then putting it back before morning.

So it's been verified it was s real pistol??  How could a real gun be on the set?

[jficke13]

I'm pretty sure that some of the confusion is surrounding in-industry terms that aren't general colloquial terms for things.

Real guns are used in Hollywood productions.

They are used to create live actor reactions to recoil, muzzle flashes, etc.

They are never loaded with bullets--that is a round with projectile bullet.

They are loaded with rounds that the industry calls "live" but that non industry people would probably call "blanks."

A "live" (blank) round discharges hot gas and occasionally wadding/minor debris that can be harmful/lethal for 15ish feet from the end of the barrel.

An actor famously died on set by placing a gun loaded with a live (blank) round to his head and pulling the trigger not realizing that was a lethal decision.

I've read several accounts of currently active hollywood armorers who describe the practice and procedure for use of "live" rounds on set. They include, only the armorer ever handling the weapon. The armorer loading the weapon. The armorer certifying the number of "live" rounds in the weapon between every take. The armorer handing the weapon directly to the actor. The armorer and an assistant certifying whether the weapon is "hot" or "cold" and calling that out before and after handing the weapon to the actor.

(Allegedly here's where someone called out "cold gun" and Baldwin assumed that was legit to disastrous effect).

It still sounds like a great deal of the chain of custody of the weapon is disputed, but every time you read a hollywood person or source use the term "live" round, it's almost certainly (absent true murder mystery style intent) meaning what you and I would call a blank.