Brandon Lee, Accident or Murder (vanity)

wikipedia excerpt ^ | 7/15/2017 | eastforker

[eastforker]

The following is an excerpt from an article about Brandon Lee's death that was ruled an accident. Please read and tell me if you think this actually happened. I for one have a herd time believing this could happen.

Death[edit] Lee died of a gunshot wound on March 31, 1993, at the filming studio in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the age of 28, after an accidental shooting on set of The Crow.[9]

In the scene in which Lee was accidentally shot, Lee's character walks into his apartment and discovers his fiancée being beaten and raped by thugs. Actor Michael Massee's character fires a .44 Magnum revolver at Lee as he walks into the room.[10] A previous scene using the same gun had called for inert dummy cartridges fitted with bullets (but no powder or primer) to be loaded in the revolver for a close-up scene; for film scenes which utilize a revolver (where the bullets are visible from the front) and do not require the gun to actually be fired, dummy cartridges provide the realistic appearance of actual rounds. Instead of purchasing commercial dummy cartridges, the film's prop crew created their own by pulling the bullets from live rounds, dumping the powder charge then reinserting the bullets. However, they unknowingly or unintentionally left the live primer in place at the rear of the cartridge. At some point during filming, the revolver was apparently discharged with one of these improperly-deactivated cartridges in the chamber, setting off the primer with enough force to drive the bullet partway into the barrel, where it became stuck (a condition known as a squib load). The prop crew either failed to notice this or failed to recognize the significance of this issue.

In the fatal scene, which called for the revolver to be actually fired at Lee from a distance of 3.6–4.5 meters (12–15 feet), the dummy cartridges were exchanged with blank rounds, which feature a live powder charge and primer, but no bullet, thus allowing the gun to be fired without the risk of an actual projectile. But since the bullet from the dummy round was already trapped in the barrel, this caused the .44 Magnum bullet to be fired out of the barrel with virtually the same force as if the gun had been loaded with a live round, and it struck Lee in the abdomen, mortally wounding him.[11] He was rushed to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he underwent 6 hours of surgery. However, attempts to save him were unsuccessful, and Lee was pronounced dead at 1:03 p.m. EST. The shooting was ruled an accident.

[sargon]

Yes, what happened, by my recollection was this:

1. There was a need for dummy bullets on the set—like you see when someone is pointing a revolver at someone else, so that the bullets are visible in the cylinder—just for show. Typically, I suppose, a real bullet is inserted into a casing which has no powder in it—and no primer, either.
2. They also had blanks, which obviously hold a charge, in order to make a noise—to simulate the actual firing of a gun.
3. For some reason, they were no dummy bullets on hand, so someone in the props department had to manufacture one or more dummies for use on the set. This was the beginning of the tragedy.
4. Unfortunately, when this dummy was (or these dummies were) made, someone, somehow, used a casing which had a live primer in it!
5. At some point, the trigger was pulled with this dummy bullet in front of the barrel. The result was a very soft, almost inaudible "pop" which was the primer going off—with no powder in front of it in the casing.
6. The primer, combined with the tight seal caused by the bullet, had just enough charge to knock the bullet loose, lodging it in the barrel of the gun. At this point, it was a disaster waiting to happen.
7. Finally, the scene called for the gun to be fired—with a blank charge for realism, of course. When that happened, the blank charge was apparently sufficient to propel the bullet out the barrel, just as if it had been a live round—or close enough, obviously.
8. Since the gun was apparently pointed directly at Brandon Lee—and at a vital area—he ended up being shot at close range by the .44 magnum.

I don't think anyone was ever prosecuted for negligence in this case—even though there was obviously plenty to go around. This was probably the correct outcome, since no single person really was directly responsible.

Anyway, that's my recollection of the incident. I might have a few details muddled, but you can definitely get the idea of what happened in order to cause the tragedy.

I think the chances that there was a deliberate crime are basically zero.

I think one thing that was changed as a result of this tragedy, for instance, is that they try not to even point any gun directly at anyone's vital areas—even though they "know" that it should never be a live round that's being fired. There are plenty of ways to use angles and such to ensure this practice.

Additionally, I'm sure they've become very strict regarding ad hoc assembly of dummy bullets, blanks, etc. on movie sets as a result of this incident.

So that's how Brandon Lee was shot and killed while shooting a friggin' movie. I believe there have been at least one or two bestselling books written about this whole fiasco...

[eastforker]

Here is my concern. A bullet lodged in the barrel is extremely hard to dislodge given that a gap exist between the cylinder and the barrel. If it had been a closed chamber such as a bolt action rifle I might agree but many of barrels have blown up because of a blockage in the barrel.

[eastforker]

Also it would be interesting to know if there was an exit wound.

[suthener]

I believe it was more than a primer. I think the powder load was still in the casing and they simply removed the bullet. They broke every safety rule in the movie handbook by having live ammunition on the set.

[Rockingham]

The OSHA and SAG investigative files would no doubt provide more information. Even on non-political subjects, news reports are notorious for missing and garbled facts.

[eastforker]

Coming from another article, it stated that the bullet was lodged against Brandon’s spine, that is a good indication that it happened just as reported as a live round would have definately penetrated completely through his body.

[x]

Look up Jon-Erik Hexham, another Hollywood actor.

Put a gun loaded with blanks up to your head and fire it and it can kill you.

Why wouldn't the same blanks discharge a bullet stuck in the chamber.

Bigger question: why this all of a sudden?

[eastforker]

I have always been a big fan of Bruce Lee, back in the early 70’s he was really big with military folks and being stationed in Korea at that time he was also a local hero of even Korean folks. Recently Netflix has the “Legend of Bruce Lee”, 50, 45 minute episodes of his life from high school till his death.I think I binged watched them all in 4 days. So then I found and rewatched all his movies he made. Was interesting that the Kung Fu Masters in China were not happy with him teaching Kung fu to non chinese people. There were several real attempts on his life for this reason and his death is still some what of a mystery.It is quite ironic that in the “Game of Death” script, he was shot on the movie set. Even though that was fiction it is strange that his son was killed that way. Bruce Lee was much more than just a kung fu expert, he was very intelligent , loved by his countrymen but despised by many of his chinese peers and other disciplines of martial arts.

[Wilderness Conservative]

No gun novice should ever think they know than the gun experts on FR.

[Leaning Right]

Sorry, not buying it. The first rule of (real) gun safety is this: Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

Another rule is this: Pull the trigger of a gun only if you want to hit whatever that gun is pointed at.

Bottom line: There is no reason for a real gun to be on a movie set. No reason at all. And to pull the trigger of a real gun on a movie set, that approaches criminal negligence.

If a movie set cannot afford a good fake gun, use no gun at all.

[discostu]

Blanks can blow apart a can at barrel touch, they can definitely propel a lodged slug.

[Future Snake Eater]

There is no reason for a real gun to be on a movie set. No reason at all.

lol....OK

[Future Snake Eater]

If that was the case, I’d expect some serious lawsuits against the production company from the Lee family. That’s gross negligence.

[MrEdd]

I know this will come as a shock to you (you’ve made it pretty clear) but sometimes movies depict actual marksmanship. That requires a real gun.

[eastforker]

What novice are you speaking of??

[Leaning Right]

> I know this will come as a shock to you (you’ve made it pretty clear) but sometimes movies depict actual marksmanship. That requires a real gun. <

A real gun, pointed at a person? Because that’s what happened on the movie set in question here.

[MrEdd]

Changing your post now?
Your original post asserted unequivocally that actual firearms never belong on a movie set.
I corrected you.
Should actual guns be pointed at people on set? Thats a strawman because everyone on this thread agrees that they should not.

In post 21 Sargon gave a pretty complete account of the negligence all around that factored into this mess. There was too much incompetence all around (Brandon Lee himself included) to assign blame on any single person.

[Leaning Right]

> Your original post asserted unequivocally that actual firearms never belong on a movie set. <

I suppose I should have been a bit clearer in my previous post. If some movie extra is carrying around a slung (real) rifle, that’s no big deal. But most “firearms” in movies are not just carried around slung. They are pointed at people, and then fired.

Such a “firearm” should not be real. As was noted by another poster, a series of mistakes can be tragic. Why break basic firearm safety rules when fake guns are available?

I will admit to perhaps being hyper-sensitive about firearms safety. I was taught to shoot by my very strict father when I was 8 years old. We used an old bolt-action 22. Fifty years have passed. I still have that old 22, and I still shoot it occasionally.

And I still remember all the safety lessons he taught me. The prime one was treat every gun as if it were loaded.