Posted on 10/27/2021 3:03:53 PM PDT by A Cyrenian
And who pulled the trigger?
Alec Baldwin.
It's that simple.
Actually, Yes. The Armorer verifies the safety, then the Assistant Director does, then the Talent does. It is all part of the process.
Unfortunately, when they are rushing, and violating one safety rule after another, this sort of thing can happen... Or someone dies in an auto accident commuting an hour after a 15 hour day, Or any one of many accidents can happen. Film sets can be dangerous if people like the producers don’t take safety seriously.
Item one - No one should be plinking cans with live ammunition in prop guns on breaks. Prop guns are to be kept under lock and key in between filming.
No he wasn't.
He was standing around, practicing drawing the gun from his holster and pointing it at the camera while the director and cinematographer were still setting up the camera.
Nobody was paying attention to Baldwin, as they were all focused on doing their own jobs to set up for the scene.
Baldwin hadn't been "directed" to do anything yet.
-PJ
The person holding the firearm is ALWAYS 100% responsible for the damage done with that firearm.
You can spin it anyway you like; but being an actor, being stupid, being irresponsible, being a jerk, being an asshole, being Alec Baldwin, being any of these things does not remove you from the responsibility of handling and checking a firearm for safety at any time.
Alec Baldwin is one of the VERY VISIBLE point men for the GUN CONTROL LOBBY, you would think that someone in that position would be very aware of the lethal nature of a piece of equipment that was specifically designed to DESTROY A TARGET!
There are implications for insurance coverage in the incompetence of the armorer, or the sabotage of the loadings. Solid chain of custody would have prevented sabotage. If it’s all on Baldwin, why have an armorer and an AD in the chain? To save time? Why not have one or the other come out and hand an open gun and six blanks to AB?
Did you see his old tweet, about Liz Cheney?
He said Liz Cheney talks and seems so much like her father.
I wonder if she’s ever accidentally shot a good friend of hers in the face.
Failing to check the weapon is not what could possibly put Baldwin in criminal jeopardy. No jury is going convict him for simply being the actor that pulled the trigger without verifying the weapon (after being told it was safe). That single act is too far removed from the primary negligence that caused the death.
Now, in civil court, he is screwed. This was an Alec Baldwin Production. He owns it. He hired both the unqualified armorer and the assistant director.
And there may be more negligence by Baldwin. Much more. Apparently there were other safety incidents, including some with firearms. Less than a week before the incident, a stunt double had fired two accidental prop gun discharges after being told that the gun was “cold” (a "cold" gun is empty, while a "hot" gun is loaded with blanks). Baldwin as Producer did not take action to correct these incidents and ensure safety on the set. Some crew claim they walked out when they were ignored. If THAT negligence added to all the rest rises to the level of criminal negligence, it's possible he could be prosecuted. But failing to check the weapon that was handed to him and twice declared safe is not going to be enough.
I work occasionally as an armorer for live theater. Last job was Oklahoma. Actors who don’t need to shoot get a rubber gun. Guns that fire blanks have a blocked barrel with a vent out the side of the barrel. The guns are loaded with the exact number of blanks to be fired and I hand a weapon to the actor before the scene and retrieve it after, otherwise it is locked in my chest. I won’t blame Baldwin yet but it is clear to me that some egregious negligence went on there.
This will go on Ad Infinitum.
A. Trust but verify
B. Never Screw Around
C. Personal Responsibility is paramount [Others could be responsible for their lack of responsible action also, but its an add on, not an excuse for the perp]
“But is the actor Baldwin also responsible for verifying a live round isn’t in the chamber...?”
I agree they are deadly, which is why Hollywood employs someone who is trained to do just that.
I know Baldwin is a jerk, but to say he alone is responsible is untrue. I think his production company will settle out of court, and no charges will be brought against him. I think the armorer might be in legal trouble. We’ll see. All around a terrible incident.
(Based on the information we have, which could very well be highly incomplete)
The 4 rules of handling a gun are not laws.
She looks professional and reliable.
That was funny...a monkey with a gun! Those guys ran like hell once he started shooting. Then the monkey raised up his gun in pride of what he had done.
You knew when they gave him the gun, what was going to happen. A least this monkey did not kill anyone.
I do agree with you, in theory. Sounds right. But in the world of movie productions, the armorer has that responsibility.
I think we BOTH agree that NO PROP GUN should ever double as a live-fire gun used for target practice during breaks.
It’s not like the loaded gun was handed over to chimp to see what would happen... but it might as well had been.
Baldwin and the crew are liberals in good standing who hate both guns and Trump. Nothing will come of this.
Everyone who handled that firearm was responsible for checking it. Especially the person who pointed it and pulled the trigger.
I work in a gun shop and I NEVER hand a firearm to a customer without personally checking it. And then I check it again when they return it to me.
“But is the actor Baldwin also responsible for verifying a live round isn’t in the chamber in addition to memorizing his lines and acting?”
Yes, he is.
Right there that violates two of the four basic rules of gun safety. The actions of others are contributing factors, but the final link in the error chain is Alec Baldwin. He is the one most responsible for this tragedy.
Anyone, anyone who picks up a gun is responsible for using it safely. Even an actor. Especially an actor who knows nothing about guns. He pointed the weapon at a subject and pulled the trigger. His actions caused a woman to be killed.
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