Alec Baldwin To Be Charged With Manslaughter In "Rust" Set Shooting

[TTL News 308]

Quote

 

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors announced that actor Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer who was killed on a New Mexico movie set.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being shot 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.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows

 

See the rest here.

[MsKreed 1,185]

I guess they aren't buying Alec's insistence that the weapon spontaneously fired itself without him touching the trigger?

 

I think the other guy (Halls) had the better approach by admitting to some degree of personal responsibility. 

Quote

 

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a statement announcing the charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western “Rust.”

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.

Assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun, has signed an agreement to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon, the district attorney’s office said.

 

 

[Hal 341]

So much wrong in the statement “ the gun went off “ ! If using historically accurate firearm they would be using a single action revolver which requires two actions on the handlers part  , pulling back the hammer then squeezing the trigger ! 
Sure there were multiple handlers of the weapon but the last handler is responsible for the gun firing . Now , as to how live rounds got on the set is anyones guess . Thats going to be the kicker here … was someone along the chain of custody of the gun having a little live fire fun before the filming that day , or any other time for that matter . Was the armorer fully qualified other than being an armorer’s daughter ? 
Bottom line what is the Number One Rule when handling any firearm? Live rounds or dummy rounds the rule stands !
The rest of this story playing out is going to be just back and forth Legalize .

Edited January 19, 2023 by Hal

[MsKreed 1,185]

I kind of have to wonder if....

1) There is any (partial) fingerprint on the trigger ....and

2) If so, would that make his false statement more damning?

[Hal 341]

5 hours ago, MsKreed said:

1) There is any (partial) fingerprint on the trigger ....and

And a partial Thumb print on the hammer …

[MsKreed 1,185]

I just saw video clips from his TV interview and police statement. He did say the gun fired after he cocked the hammer – but claimed he never touched the trigger.

Earlier police report said weapon was tested and examined. It was working correctly and would not fire w/out trigger being pulled.

 

I also saw interviews with the armorer who’s also being charged.  Her professionalism sure seems to be lacking...and she paints a picture that the whole production put a really low priority on gun safety...and pretty much confirms all the “safety complaints” from crew that had walked off the job.

All the police interviews are interesting, but he very last video in THIS article, at about the 4:12 mark, her characterization of Alec’s “training” is particularly disturbing. 

[Hal 341]

The armorer describes how she “fought” for training days to work with actors handling their guns but was told by higher-ups on the “Rust” production that the performers didn’t need it because they were all “trained people.” Still, she got time with Baldwin, although she said he was “distracted” and on his phone throughout their training session. 

She fretted “he might honestly shoot himself in the arm” if he didn’t practice more with his holster, and reached out to the actor’s assistant to set up further training. However, Baldwin did not show up for a second training session, she said. Baldwin has said that he followed safety protocols, trusted the professionals to do their jobs and had no idea that the gun he fired contained live rounds. 
 

Had he been trained or at least let himself be trained properly a person would not have died because of his ignorance! Better he had shot himself but hell the production “ higher ups “ said they didn’t need training . As you said before a partial print on the trigger would be the tell . Barring him touching the trigger the other possibility of the gun going off is the manner in which he cocked the hammer . 
At full extension of the arm and tilting back the gun while pulling back the hammer ( as you have seen many times in “ Westerns “ im sure ) it can be released and fire before the sear engages locking the hammer if the hand is sweaty or the knurling on the hammer was worn or plugged . No expert here just experienced in revolvers and would never be fool enough to state that I don’t need or could use “ more training “ …

Edited January 20, 2023 by Hal

[MsKreed 1,185]

12 hours ago, Hal said:

The armorer describes how she “fought” for training days to work with actors handling their guns but was told by higher-ups on the “Rust” production that the performers didn’t need it because they were all “trained people.” Still, she got time with Baldwin, although she said he was “distracted” and on his phone throughout their training session. 

She fretted “he might honestly shoot himself in the arm” if he didn’t practice more with his holster, and reached out to the actor’s assistant to set up further training. However, Baldwin did not show up for a second training session, she said. Baldwin has said that he followed safety protocols, trusted the professionals to do their jobs and had no idea that the gun he fired contained live rounds. 
 

Had he been trained or at least let himself be trained properly a person would not have died because of his ignorance! Better he had shot himself but hell the production “ higher ups “ said they didn’t need training . As you said before a partial print on the trigger would be the tell . Barring him touching the trigger the other possibility of the gun going off is the manner in which he cocked the hammer . 
At full extension of the arm and tilting back the gun while pulling back the hammer ( as you have seen many times in “ Westerns “ im sure ) it can be released and fire before the sear engages locking the hammer if the hand is sweaty or the knurling on the hammer was worn or plugged . No expert here just experienced in revolvers and would never be fool enough to state that I don’t need or could use “ more training “ …

Yep.....

It sounds like his.....umm...confidence (arrogance?) was dangerously misplaced. By the same token, she, as an allegedly trained professional, should have refused to continue. 

I know there are/will be excuses on her part. First time as armorer, young, intimidated by an A-lost actor, needed the job to make a name for herself.  I'm sure there are more, but none of those should over-shadow the safety that her job (and just basic common sense) obligated her to. 

The low paid crew members who walked off the job before the deadly shooting "needed" their jobs too and probably didn't like the idea that walking out could affect later opportunities....but apparently they recognized that life 'n limb was more important than career opportunities.  

 

Also....some of her interview is sad in that she was admitting to having zero inventory or internal controls on ammo: She thinks this ammo came from that guy, who might have borrowed it from another set.  This box had a couple different types of ammo, and that box had ammo different than it was labelled.  

At the very least, should have had some control and care in knowing what ammo came from what source and where it was being stored and used. 

[Hal 341]

29 minutes ago, MsKreed said:

ntimidated by an A-lost actor

Aha … I saw what you did there LOL😆👍! 
Agreed the armorer should have had more protection controls in place such as her visually checking each round and sealing the box with a label or a warning seal of some sort . There is just too much going on here to blame one person i suppose but between the armorer and Baldwin there needed to be more care taken that this didn’t happen and considering  her inexperience and his , yes , arrogance this was bound to snowball . 
Side note … while getting ready to run errands today I watched my carry gun very closely just in case it wanted to “ go off” but it behaved itself !  

[MsKreed 1,185]

2 minutes ago, Hal said:

Aha … I saw what you did there LOL😆👍! 

Completely subliminal typo...LOL But not wrong!!

[Chris 2,169]

Yeah I thought that was intentional as well!

[MsKreed 1,185]

This made me laugh out loud

[Kevin 337]

[MsKreed 1,185]

I couldn't find the original Topic of this story from 2021. It must have been archived

Quote

 

Special prosecutors dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in April, saying they were informed the gun might have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned. They later pivoted and began weighing whether to refile a charge against Baldwin after receiving a new analysis of the gun.

The analysis from experts in ballistics and forensic testing relied on replacement parts to reassemble the gun fired by Baldwin, after parts of the pistol were broken during testing by the FBI. The report examined the gun and markings it left on a spent cartridge to conclude that the trigger had to have been pulled or depressed.

The analysis led by Lucien Haag of Forensic Science Services in Arizona stated that although Baldwin repeatedly denied pulling the trigger, "given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver."

 

Read More Here

[Chris 2,169]

42 minutes ago, MsKreed said:

I couldn't find the original Topic of this story from 2021. It must have been archived

It was, I merged them for ya. 

[Ann 264]

In my opinion, Baldwin was holding the gun when it was pointed at the woman and the gun discharged, killing her.  That is negligence and he is responsible.  Common sense is you assume any firearm you are holding is loaded and you never point any firearm at a person.  He is also guilty of lacking common sense.