Halyna Hutchins Shot With Prop Gun - Alec Baldwin indicted & Hannah Gutierrez-Reed charged, 2021 #7

[Weki]

I thought the prop master is supposed to supervise the armorer.

No. Zachary testified she had no supervisory role in HGR’s armorer duties only her prop duties. In fact Zachary was an armorer assistant putting her under HGR’s authority for armorer duties.

 

[ch_13]

No. Zachary testified she had no supervisory role in HGR’s armorer duties only her prop duties. In fact Zachary was an armorer assistant putting her under HGR’s authority for armorer duties.

"Half the time, you're her supervisor. The other half of the time, she's your supervisor."

Even putting the shooting aside, that's a messed up chain of command. The producers were working so hard to cut corners, they were just asking for trouble.

 

[DFWNF]

On another website, a poster asked two intriguing questions:

First: Which producer or director is responsible for supervising crafts, including armorers? The trial indicated an overall poor job performance by HGR. Is there a record of 'chats,' informal correspondence requesting professional changes, verbal or written reprimands, reviews? No? Why not, and which producer/director/admin was paid to supervise the armorer here?

Was that DH?

Second: If this had been a suicide scene, would AB point the pistol at his own head & (not) pull the trigger without checking the pistol himself?

Wonder how others feel about these questions.

jmho ymmv lrr

Bbm First: I thought it was producer Gabrielle Pickle?

 

[Marantz4250b]

Haha nice puff piece by defense to garner sympathy for sentencing! Has there ever been a report that so and so is adjusting well to jail/prison after 2 days?? I’m liking the judge by the day as we head into sentencing….

Exactly! This is just a lawyer doing his job - if she's not hating it and terrified then where's the incentive to be lenient in the sentencing? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he's telling the truth but, as you say, it's pretty obvious stuff!

 

[MyBelle]

Because live rounds exist in the world. If they didn't then the safety checks wouldn't be needed.

In fact, the SAG safety bulletin even has safety protocols for when live rounds are actually used on movie sets. That section is as long as, possibly longer, than the section on using blanks so there is an expectation that they may be used under certain circumstances.

Lets not forget that this is New Mexico - literally the heartland of the "Old West" and that culture is deeply ingrained there. Billy the Kid/Lincoln Country War and all that, etc. Some live .45 Colt rounds showing up at an old west movie town does not seem particularly unlikely to me.

May I ask as to why you think that HGR's conviction helps AB?

BBM. AB did not load the ammo into the gun. The jury determined the armorer, HGR, failed to do her job. Gun safety was her responsibility, not AB's.

JMO

Ammo supplier at "Rust" shooting trial says he provided dummy rounds to movie, but handled live rounds for TV show

A movie firearms and ammunition supplier took the stand in the "Rust" shooting trial of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

www.cbsnews.com

Live ammunition is expressly prohibited on movie sets by the industry and union guidelines.

 

[MyBelle]

The safety checks/armorer is needed for safe use of blanks, quarter loads, half loads etc. SAG specifically states that live rounds should never be on set. I did read about the exceptions in the event live rounds are required. However, the set of Rust, actors, insurance providers, etc were all operating as if no live rounds were on set, as per the SAG guidelines.

BBM. Exactly!

JMO

 

[Marantz4250b]

On another website, a poster asked two intriguing questions:

First: Which producer or director is responsible for supervising crafts, including armorers? The trial indicated an overall poor job performance by HGR. Is there a record of 'chats,' informal correspondence requesting professional changes, verbal or written reprimands, reviews? No? Why not, and which producer/director/admin was paid to supervise the armorer here?

Was that DH?

Second: If this had been a suicide scene, would AB point the pistol at his own head & (not) pull the trigger without checking the pistol himself?

Wonder how others feel about these questions.

jmho ymmv lrr

I agree to an extent. Sure, she didn't do everything brilliantly but my opinion is that was largely due to her being under a lot of pressure and being made to do an additional job that she was never contracted for.

There have been people saying that she was dillegant and safety orientated so I don't think she was the reckless "all cares to the winds" person she's being made out to be by many people.

Your second point is very interesting and one which has been made several times on here by myself and others; he took someone else's word that the gun was safe yet pointed it at someone and manage to shoot them.

No one can say with certainty what Alec Baldwin would have done under different circumstances but if the standard industry procedure was for the actor to put the gun to their own head and snap the hammer on all six chambres then I'd feel pretty confident in betting very serious money that he would have personally confirmed whether it was safe to do so before he did! If you aren't prepared to do that but you are prepared to point it at someone else then that's clear proof that you are exercising a lower duty of care towards them that you afford to yourself.

 

[Marantz4250b]

The safety checks/armorer is needed for safe use of blanks, quarter loads, half loads etc. SAG specifically states that live rounds should never be on set. I did read about the exceptions in the event live rounds are required. However, the set of Rust, actors, insurance providers, etc were all operating as if no live rounds were on set, as per the SAG guidelines.

The point I'm mainly making is that SAG appreciates that live rounds exist - they even have a process for their use.

Live rounds exist and by the laws of probability sooner or later they will show up on a movie set. In a place like NM things like .45 Colt ammunition, imo, should be expected to show up at some point. No, it shouldn't happen, but evenatually it will.

Lets face it, ammunition (whether live, blank or dummy) should never make their way into a police interview room yet Hanna Reed produced some in her interview immediately after the event! Stuff happens. That is why we have safety procedures to filter out the mistakes.

 

[turaj]

If AB goes to trial it will be a media circus. His credibility will be on trial and so much video evidence as to his mixed up story. I found it interesting that during initial interview he never asked how Halyna was doing...never once. All that footage shown in HGR trial of the lax handling of guns on set is proof positive that the protocols were not being followed no matter what he says. AB can't hide his arrogance and if he mentioned his six kids and their ages again I don't think the jury will be interested. He is all about himself. He will want to get on stand and doubt his attorneys want that.

BBM. AB did not load the ammo into the gun. The jury determined the armorer, HGR, failed to do her job. Gun safety was her responsibility, not AB's.

JMO

Ammo supplier at "Rust" shooting trial says he provided dummy rounds to movie, but handled live rounds for TV show

A movie firearms and ammunition supplier took the stand in the "Rust" shooting trial of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

www.cbsnews.com

Live ammunition is expressly prohibited on movie sets by the industry and union guidelines.

As producer while he may not say so AB is in charge of everything. Just because he does not see the chaos when he is in his hotel room and not on set does not mean that he is free of liability.

 

[Marantz4250b]

BBM. AB did not load the ammo into the gun. The jury determined the armorer, HGR, failed to do her job. Gun safety was her responsibility, not AB's.

JMO

Ammo supplier at "Rust" shooting trial says he provided dummy rounds to movie, but handled live rounds for TV show

A movie firearms and ammunition supplier took the stand in the "Rust" shooting trial of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

www.cbsnews.com

Live ammunition is expressly prohibited on movie sets by the industry and union guidelines.

I get that AB didn't load the ammo but that's not necessarily relevant to the charge he faces.

The definition of involuntary manslaughter involves ...not giving sufficient circumspection to your actions which resulted in death..., or words to that effect. He did not personally verify that the gun was safe - whether by checking it himself or having it demonstrated to him. He simply (allegedly) took someone else's word for it. That is the very definition of "insufficient circumspection". It's zero circumspection!

 

[MyBelle]

I get that AB didn't load the ammo but that's not necessarily relevant to the charge he faces.

The definition of involuntary manslaughter involves ...not giving sufficient circumspection to your actions which resulted in death..., or words to that effect. He did not personally verify that the gun was safe - whether by checking it himself or having it demonstrated to him. He simply (allegedly) took someone else's word for it. That is the very definition of "insufficient circumspection". It's zero circumspection!

I assume AD Halls will testify at AB's trial. He testified it was his job to inspect the gun thoroughly and he failed to do so.
AB in this case is the DA's "ham sandwich."

JMO

"Rust" assistant director breaks down in tears while testifying about fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

David Halls' new testimony conflicts with other accounts about a final safety check on a revolver and exactly who handed it to Alec Baldwin.

www.cbsnews.com

Halls acknowledged on the witnesses stand that he "was negligent in checking the gun properly" because he didn't examine all the rounds inside.

When asked by the prosecutor why he agreed to testify, Halls said he wanted "the truth be known."

 

[Mony Mony]

The weapons expert with the curly hair (Cajun?) sealed it for me in regards to AB. He specifically said dummies are “spooky” because they are made to look real. Also, wasn’t there testimony about a dummy Denix round being found on set? And those don’t rattle. IMO, even if AB had checked the gun, what would have changed? The dummy rounds are specifically made to look real, HG “vetted” (cough cough) the rounds to ensure they are dummies. How would he have differentiated between a Denix and a live round? That’s the armorer’s job. All MOO.

 

[Betty P]

The weapons expert with the curly hair (Cajun?) sealed it for me in regards to AB. He specifically said dummies are “spooky” because they are made to look real. Also, wasn’t there testimony about a dummy Denix round being found on set? And those don’t rattle. IMO, even if AB had checked the gun, what would have changed? The dummy rounds are specifically made to look real, HG “vetted” (cough cough) the rounds to ensure they are dummies. How would he have differentiated between a Denix and a live round? That’s the armorer’s job. All MOO.

Very good point. I recall that one of HGR's piles of ammo contained a dummie that didn't rattle. If she decided to put dummies (with one accidental live round) in AB's gun after lunch, how was he supposed to know the difference if the primers looked the same? He was really relying on HGR and DH to test the weapon to make sure it was safe.

 

[Weki]

I believe DH said that the primer of the live round was very apparent once he saw it after the shooting. DH didn’t check the full cylinder prior to the shooting. AB is supposed to have HGR check the weapon with him and confirm it was loaded with dummies. If they had both looked, they would have seen the primer of the live round and known something was off. JMO

 

[Cool Cats]

As producer while he may not say so AB is in charge of everything. Just because he does not see the chaos when he is in his hotel room and not on set does not mean that he is free of liability.

He was found liable in a civil suit that has been settled.

2 Cents

 

[MyBelle]

The weapons expert with the curly hair (Cajun?) sealed it for me in regards to AB. He specifically said dummies are “spooky” because they are made to look real. Also, wasn’t there testimony about a dummy Denix round being found on set? And those don’t rattle. IMO, even if AB had checked the gun, what would have changed? The dummy rounds are specifically made to look real, HG “vetted” (cough cough) the rounds to ensure they are dummies. How would he have differentiated between a Denix and a live round? That’s the armorer’s job. All MOO.

BBM. And that's why the AD took a plea deal and why the armorer was convicted.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

He was found liable in a civil suit that has been settled.

2 Cents

The production company settled the civil lawsuit.

JMO

 

[Cool Cats]

The production company settled the civil lawsuit.

JMO

point was:

That Alec was named in

2 Cents

 

[MyBelle]

point was:

That Alec was named in

2 Cents

My point is that the civil lawsuit was settled out of court, and it had absolutely nothing to do with criminal charges.

JMO

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/entertainment/rust-shooting-press-conference-halyna-hutchins-widow/index.html

“We continue to cooperate with the authorities to determine how live ammunition arrived on the ‘Rust’ set in the first place. Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false. He, Halyna and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun that it was a ‘cold gun’ – meaning there is no possibility of a discharge, blank or otherwise,” Aaron Dyer, attorney for Baldwin and other producers of “Rust,” said in a statement to CNN.

 

[Cool Cats]

My point is that the civil lawsuit was settled out of court, and it had absolutely nothing to do with criminal charges.

JMO

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/entertainment/rust-shooting-press-conference-halyna-hutchins-widow/index.html

“We continue to cooperate with the authorities to determine how live ammunition arrived on the ‘Rust’ set in the first place. Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false. He, Halyna and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun that it was a ‘cold gun’ – meaning there is no possibility of a discharge, blank or otherwise,” Aaron Dyer, attorney for Baldwin and other producers of “Rust,” said in a statement to CNN.

The OP I responded to said Alec needed to take some liability and he was named in a civil lawsuit that was settled I was pointing out.