Alec Baldwin fired shot that killed one, wounded another on film set

[spaminator]

Alec Baldwin, armourer to be charged over 'Rust' shooting
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Andrew Hay
Published Jan 31, 2023 • 2 minute read

Actor Alec Baldwin and armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be charged on Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Western “Rust” in 2021, a New Mexico prosecutor said.


District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had announced Jan. 19 that she would file the charges by month’s end, following months of speculation she would determine she had evidence Baldwin showed criminal disregard for safety when a revolver he was rehearsing with fired a live round that killed Hutchins.


The “30 Rock” actor has denied responsibility for the shooting, saying he cocked the revolver but never pulled the trigger and it was the job of Gutierrez-Reed and other weapons professionals to ensure it was unloaded.

The most serious charge – which carries five years in jail – would require prosecutors to convince a jury Baldwin was not just negligent but reckless in his use of a firearm.

“The evidence and facts speak for themselves,” Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for Carmack-Altwies’ office, said in a statement.


A sheriff’s office investigation has yet to reveal how live ammunition got onto the set outside Santa Fe.

Legal analysts have said prosecutors will struggle to win convictions without proof Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed knew live ammunition was present but took no precautions.

Industry-wide firearms safety guidelines instruct actors to assume a firearm is loaded with blanks and rely on professional weapons handlers to ensure a weapon is safe. Actors are told to only point a weapon at a person under the guidance of firearms professionals. Live ammunition is strictly forbidden on sets.

Gutierrez-Reed said she checked the rounds she loaded in the revolver were dummies before handing it to first assistant director Dave Halls. Halls handed it to Baldwin, telling him it was a “cold gun” or unloaded, according to police.


Halls has signed a plea deal with prosecutors for a misdemeanour charge.

Public relations specialists said Baldwin may have opened himself up to charges by repeatedly denying blame and giving a 2021 ABC television interview on the incident that appeared to contradict parts of the police investigation.

“He was very arrogant towards them, and you know he poked the bear,” said Larry Kopp, founder of the TASC Group communications firm.

An FBI forensic test of the revolver found it “functioned normally” and would not fire without the trigger being pulled.

The armourer testified to New Mexico’s worker safety agency (OSHA) on Dec. 7 that the shooting might have been prevented had she had more time to train Baldwin. She said he had “poor form” when using the revolver.

Baldwin had a tendency to cock the revolver then pull the trigger to release the hammer, rather than lower it slowly with his thumb once a scene was over, she said.

“If you do not release the hammer slowly, it is typical that a gun will go off,” Gutierrez-Reed said.

A lawyer representing Baldwin did not respond to a request for comment.

Gabrielle Pickle, the movie’s line producer, told OSHA on Dec. 20 that Gutierrez-Reed was granted all the days she requested to fulfill her armorer duties.

Alec Baldwin, armourer to be charged over 'Rust' shooting

Actor Alec Baldwin and armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be charged on Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Prosecutors file charges in set shooting by Alec Baldwin
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Morgan Lee
Published Jan 31, 2023 • 3 minute read

SANTA FE, N.M. — Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set, according to court documents filed by prosecutors Tuesday.


Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed the charging documents naming Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western “Rust.”


The filing comes nearly two weeks after she first announced that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed would be prosecuted for what authorities have described as a pattern of criminal disregard for safety. In recent weeks, Carmack-Altwies has outlined two sets of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges.

Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas declined comment Tuesday and referred to his previous statement on the case, in which he called the charges a “terrible miscarriage of justice” that he and his client would fight and win.


“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set,” the statement said. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked.”

Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney said they would release a statement later.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Prosecutors have said that Baldwin’s involvement as a producer and as the person who fired the gun weighed in the decision to file charges.

The manslaughter charge against Baldwin includes alternative standards and sanctions. One would apply a charge of manslaughter for reckless disregard of safety “without due caution and circumspection.”


Hutchins’ death already has led to new safety precautions in the film industry.

Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press in a Jan. 19 interview that the set was “really being run pretty fast and loose” and that Baldwin should have known there had been previous misfires on the set and that multiple people had brought up safety concerns.

She added that Baldwin was the one who pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. It could take up to 60 days for decision.

Involuntary manslaughter can involve a killing that happens while a defendant is doing something lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution. Special prosecutor Andrea Reeb has cited a pattern of “criminal disregard for safety” on the set of “Rust.”


Prosecutors also said they will release the terms of a signed plea agreement with assistant director David Halls, who oversaw safety on the set. Participants in the un-filmed rehearsal have given conflicting accounts of who handed the gun to Baldwin.

Halls has agreed to plead guilty in the negligent use of a deadly weapon, they said.

Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said in a statement Monday that prosecutors are “fully focused on securing justice for Halyna Hutchins” and “the evidence and the facts speak for themselves.”

Baldwin, also a co-producer on “Rust,” has described the killing as a tragic accident. The 64-year-old actor said he was told the gun was safe and has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded .45-caliber revolver.


In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

Defense attorney Jason Bowles, who represents Gutierrez-Reed, said the charges are the result of a “flawed investigation” and an “inaccurate understanding of the full facts.”

Defendants can participate remotely in many initial court proceedings or seek to have their first appearance waived.

The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengary Glen Ross.” In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

Prosecutors file charges in set shooting by Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer

torontosun.com

 

[bill barilko]

So much for 'that never happened' and 'I never pulled the trigger the gun went off by itself'.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

So much for 'that never happened' and 'I never pulled the trigger the gun went off by itself'.

Guns do that, y'know. Happens all the time.

Cop shot a kid on a motorcycle a while back. Pulled him over for speeding, kid's just sitting there on the bike waiting for him, he jumps out of his cruiser and clears leather all hard-man, and bang.

Cops have the best excuses. He said he'd been on the range the day before and "muscle memory" made him pull the trigger. And the PD bought it!

Wonder if the judge will in the civil suit.

 

[spaminator]

Alec Baldwin missed firearm training on set of Rust
Author of the article:Bang Showbiz
Bang Showbiz
Published Feb 01, 2023 • 3 minute read

Alec Baldwin missed firearm training before filming ‘Rust’ and was “distracted” during a catch-up session, prosecutors have claimed.


The 64-year-old actor-and-producer has been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter following the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the western in October 2021, and court documents claim he failed to attend a session on handling guns before filming started, and wasn’t giving a brief on-set instruction session his full attention.


According to the district attorney’s office’s special investigator Robert Shilling’s probable cause filing – which was obtained by People magazine – he wrote Alec “was not present for required firearms training prior to the commencement of filming.”

The documents went on to point out that armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed – who has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter but denies any wrongdoing – stated in her deposition that the actor had “limited training in firearms and how to check his own firearm as to whether it was unloaded or loaded”, and while he did attend a 30-minute training session on set, he appeared “distracted and [was] talking on his cell phone to his family during the training.”


Halyna was killed and director Joel Souza injured when a prop gun held by Baldwin discharged a live round during rehearsal, and the filing documents criticized Alec for not behaving like he “assume[d] the gun was loaded.”

They stated: “Baldwin directly pointed a firearm at Hutchins and Souza. Whether guided by [Gutierrez-Reed’s] directions or not, Baldwin knew the first rule of gun safety is never point a gun at someone you don’t intend on shooting.

“In addition, always assume a gun is loaded. Had Baldwin performed the required safety checks with the armorer, Reed, this tragedy would not have occurred.

“In addition, if Baldwin had not pointed the gun at Hutchins and Souza, this tragedy would not have occurred.”


They also noted Alec, as one of the producers of the film, “allowed, though acts or omissions, the hiring of inexperienced and unqualified Reed” for the “firearm-intense film” and “failed to demand the minimum safety standards, protocols, and requirements on set.”

Assistant Director Dave Halls has agreed to a plea deal for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and has denied handing the firearm to the film’s lead actor.

The probably cause statement noted he was given the gun by Hannah and “provided Baldwin with the firearm so he could rehearse/practice with the weapon” — even though a “rubber or replica firearm should have been used” during rehearsals.

Alec has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said Dave told him it was a “cold” gun – meaning it was unloaded and safe – when he handed him the weapon.


Hannah was not present when the incident occurred, but the actor previously suggested she bare some responsibility as it was her job to prepare and check the props.

Though the ’30 Rock’ star previously insisted he did not pull the trigger when Halyna was shot, the FBI later tested the weapon and issued a report which concluded it would not have fired if someone hadn’t pulled the trigger.

Halyna’s death was previously ruled an accident but her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec and others involved in the production.

The lawsuit was settled last October, and it was agreed filming would resume on ‘Rust’, with the cinematographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, on board as an executive producer.

Alec Baldwin missed firearm training on set of Rust

Alec Baldwin missed firearm training before filming 'Rust' and was "distracted" during a catch-up session, prosecutors have claimed.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I don't need "firearms training," cuz I'm a COWBOY!

 

[The_Foxer]

Had Baldwin performed the required safety checks.....

Well that ends the debate for me. Every single person who handles a gun has a duty to make sure the gun isn't loaded themselves. The only question in my mind was "had he been taught that?".

Now it looks like he had. And he didn't do it. I'm sorry - if you pick up what you know to be a real gun and point it at someone and pull the trigger without checking it yourself after you'd received training then you are guilty as hell of a crime.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Well that ends the debate for me. Every single person who handles a gun has a duty to make sure the gun isn't loaded themselves. The only question in my mind was "had he been taught that?".

Now it looks like he had. And he didn't do it. I'm sorry - if you pick up what you know to be a real gun and point it at someone and pull the trigger without checking it yourself after you'd received training then you are guilty as hell of a crime.

Y'know, a body might think that if they can CGI and entire two-hour movie, they could use a fake gun and dub in the sound of shots.

If it saves only ONE LIFE. . .

 

[The_Foxer]

Y'know, a body might think that if they can CGI and entire two-hour movie, they could use a fake gun and dub in the sound of shots.

Price. Real guns are plentiful, cgi costs money.

What i'd question is why the hell do you need real bullets? Like - why is there even any on set? There's no scene where you ACTUALLY shoot someone intentionally presumably. THe bullet strikes for the most part are minature explosives. So what the hell do you need live ammo for to make a movie?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Price. Real guns are plentiful, cgi costs money.

What i'd question is why the hell do you need real bullets? Like - why is there even any on set? There's no scene where you ACTUALLY shoot someone intentionally presumably. THe bullet strikes for the most part are minature explosives. So what the hell do you need live ammo for to make a movie?

Realism, dude. Our art is the REAL DEAL!

Oscar time! Cannes, here we come!

 

[The_Foxer]

Realism, dude. Our art is the REAL DEAL!

well..... yes, technically.... they're really dead and all...

Oscar time! Cannes, here we come!

I take it Oscar is his large hairy cell mate who 'just wants to cuddle, honest'?

 

[spaminator]

Alec Baldwin facing testimony from 44 people
Author of the article:Bang Showbiz
Bang Showbiz
Published Feb 06, 2023 • 2 minute read

Alec Baldwin faces hearing evidence from up to 44 people at the start of his involuntary manslaughter case.


The 64-year-old actor was last week charged over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western Rust in October 2021, and is set to appear in Santa Fe for a preliminary court hearing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Feb. 24.


Court documents show 44 witnesses including Rust director Joel Souza – who was wounded by the bullet that hit Hutchins – are lined up to give evidence at the hearing, along with armour and prop worker Seth Kenney, camera assistant Lane Luper, line producer Gabrielle Pickle and script supervisor Maime Mitchell.

The group could all appear in person in court along with government forensic examiners and investigators, Britain’s Mail Online reported on Monday.

Hutchins, 42, was killed when a prop gun went off during rehearsals on the set of Rust, and the film’s head armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed also faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter over the death, with her and Baldwin facing a maximum of five years in prison if found guilty.


Script supervisor witness Maime Mitchell was the first to call 911 after Hutchins was shot and was standing the closest to her when the bullet that killed her was fired.

She filed a lawsuit in 2021 against Baldwin and others on the set of Rust, claiming assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, deliberate infliction of harm – and a claim the scene being filmed did not require a gun to be fired.

Maime said in 2021: “I will never forget what happened on the set of Rust that day.

“I relive the shooting and the sound of the explosion from the gun over and over again.”

Baldwin has denied involuntary manslaughter, and Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer Jason Bowles last week told TMZ she was “stretched too thin” on the film.


He added she had asked for more time to focus on her armourer duties but was denied the request and allegedly wasn’t called back into the church by the assistant director David Halls to fully instruct Baldwin on weapon handling.

“Hannah was not called back into that church,” Bowles said. “She asked David Halls specifically, ‘If Baldwin is going to use that gun, then call me back into that church, so I can instruct him on the usage of the gun, I can reinspect that gun, and I can tell him where to point it, and work with him on it’.

“She was never called back in. So when the (District Attorney) talks about the armourer’s responsibility, this and that, she wanted to do her job, but she was prevented from doing her job. That’s the big distinction.”

Bowles also said Gutierrez-Reed had asked Halls to use a “plastic gun” but was allegedly told a “real gun” was wanted.

'Rust' cast and crew could be called to testify against Alec Baldwin

Several members of the 'Rust' cast and crew may be called to testify against Alec Baldwin on February 24 as he faces involuntary manslaughter charges for the death of Halyna Hutchins.

dailymail.co.uk

Alec Baldwin facing testimony from 44 people

Alec Baldwin faces hearing evidence from up to 44 people at the start of his involuntary manslaughter case.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

It'd be great if some court someplace would take "judicial notice" of the fact that guns don't fire by themselves.

 

[Ron in Regina]

I’ve been waiting for a new thread to come out about a new shooting… so that I could be the first to reply, “Was it Alec Baldwin again?” But the new cycle just hasn’t been cooperating….

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

I’ve been waiting for a new thread to come out about a new shooting… so that I could be the first to reply, “Was it Alec Baldwin again?” But the new cycle just hasn’t been cooperating….

You must get your news from Canadian sources. We've had hundreds since Baldwin. Just didn't make it through the filter, I guess.

 

[The_Foxer]

It'd be great if some court someplace would take "judicial notice" of the fact that guns don't fire by themselves.

As a very long time gun enthusiast and practitioner - your statement isn't exactly true. It is possible for a cocked firearm to malfunction and discharge with either no or very little external stimulus. A cocked gun can actually fire itself, if the mechansim is faulty or damaged or worn.

But - it's stunningly rare and requires a defect in the gun that's easy to detect if you take it apart, and the gun in question was checked and tested. THIS gun didn't fire itself. Someone put their finger on the trigger and pulled.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Well, that's why ya need to cock-block yer shootin' iron!

 

[The_Foxer]

Well, that's why ya need to cock-block yer shootin' iron!

While technically true that's left me a little emotionally conflicted.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

While technically true that's left me a little emotionally conflicted.

I always use a conundrum.

 

[The_Foxer]

I always use a conundrum.

Ok - ten internets for that LOL