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Alec Baldwin shoots two, one dead, one in hospital

kenny

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Apparently a freak accident.

SNIP
"SANTA FE, N.M. — The director of photography on a movie starring Alec Baldwin has been killed and the film's director injured, according to the sheriff's office of Santa Fe County, N.M. They were shot by a prop firearm that was discharged by Baldwin, who is also a producer on the film, the sheriff's office statement says."

 
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Something went very wrong! Hopefully they figure out why the "prop" worked this way or why a NOT prop firearm was anywhere in reach.
 
I don't understand how exactly the film's director and the director of photography got shot.
Were they also actors in a scene that called for Baldwin's character to shoot them?

If not, was Baldwin horsing around pointing the prop at them and pulling the trigger?
If so, why didn't he stop shooting after the first person went down?
And if so, could Baldwin be charged with manslaughter?

I wonder whether cameras were rolling and it was caught on film.
 
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The same thing happened when they were shooting the crow and killed Brandon Lee.
What it boiled down to that time was people who refused to listen to the gun expert and the gun expert was not forceful enough in overseeing them and securing the guns.
It will be the same thing here.
 
Blank guns are the most realistic so they keep using them, they are safe when used properly at a distance and are never to be fired directly at someone. They use camera angles to make it look like they are fired directly at someone.
However when fired a paper wad comes out the barrel that can kill someone at close range.
He was horsing around with a gun and shot 2 people. Killed one.
I would put money on that being the case.
 
If not, was Baldwin horsing around pointing the prop at them and pulling the trigger?
If so, why didn't he stop shooting after the first person went down?
And if so, could Baldwin be charged with manslaughter?
If I'm right he was messing around with it then yes he could be charged with some form of manslaughter.
Will he be? I will believe it when I see it, it has always been swept under the rug in the past.
 
What a terrible tragic accident.

Why on earth was a real gun on set?? I thought they were all fakes.
 
Tragic. Should never have happened. Anyone handling a gun needs to know what they are doing and NEVER point at another.


:(
 
How horrible. Is a prop gun actually a real gun that shoots something besides a bullet?

Most movie sets use real guns, but with blanks. Even a blank can kill someone when fired at close range. Being a seasoned actor he should know that and I hope it wasn't a situation where he was goofing off. Either way it's so tragic.
 
What a horrific tragedy.
Bonanza Creek Ranch is not far from here.
DH has been there for photography work.
I wonder if the movie will go on. Baldwin's career is probably over, unfortunately.
 
This is so tragic.

My first thought when my DH shared the news this morning was that someone set Alec up (put in a real bullet) in retaliation for his role as DT on SNL.
 
This is so tragic.

My first thought when my DH shared the news this morning was that someone set Alec up (put in a real bullet) in retaliation for his role as DT on SNL.

Yikes! I think that is unlikely.
I think people in the movie industry tend to be liberal, someone correct me if I'm wrong.
The movie industry is huge here in NM.
The set was certainly filled with local Santa Fe and Albuquerque talent. Santa Fe is a very liberal city. I can't imagine someone doing this on purpose.
 
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Wow. What a terrible thing to have happened. So sad for everyone involved.
 
Yikes! I think that is unlikely.
I think people in the movie industry tend to be liberal, someone correct me if I'm wrong.
The movie industry is huge here in NM.
The set was certainly filled with local Santa Fe and Albuquerque talent. Santa Fe is a very liberal city. I can't imagine someone doing this on purpose.

It wouldn't be a reflection on a group (people in movie industry, local talent, New Mexicans). It would just be one person who is mentally unstable and took the winks and nods too far, whose adulation and loyalty mixed with mental illness made for a tragic recipe. That one person can exist among the groups you listed, despite it seeming unlikely.

Karl's explanation is far more likely, or that Alec was goofing off (I don't even have the words for someone who doesn't take guns - even blanks - seriously.) At any rate, what I posted was just the thought that first jumped into my mind.
 
It wouldn't be a reflection on a group (people in movie industry, local talent, New Mexicans). It would just be one person who is mentally unstable and took the winks and nods too far, whose adulation and loyalty mixed with mental illness made for a tragic recipe. That one person can exist among the groups you listed, despite it seeming unlikely.

Karl's explanation is far more likely, or that Alec was goofing off (I don't even have the words for someone who doesn't take guns - even blanks - seriously.) At any rate, what I posted was just the thought that first jumped into my mind.

You could be right, of course.
There are unstable people everywhere, for sure.
 
The same thing happened when they were shooting the crow and killed Brandon Lee.
What it boiled down to that time was people who refused to listen to the gun expert and the gun expert was not forceful enough in overseeing them and securing the guns.
It will be the same thing here.

Except Brandon Lee was shot with a .44, not a blank. This article says the investigators are checking what type of projectile it was, I'm interested to hear.

Editing to add: I also don't think any charges will be laid. I just looked up more articles about Brandon Lee, and that actor wasn't charged with anything, but they did settle a civil suit out of court. Somehow I also don't think Alec Baldwin's career will suffer at all, but I hope EVERYONE takes this seriously and all actors and movie professionals take this safety more seriously.
 
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Apparently, a blank is an empty cartridge case with a crimped edge, and those cases can sometimes break apart and create shrapnel being shot at bullet speed. Just great. HOW DUMB! On movies, I thought that the actors were firing nothing and that the shooting sounds were added in post-production.

First Lee and now this. It's totally unacceptable. There should be a law or a rule or something that states NOTHING is to be fired from a gun on a movie set. Just add the sounds later, for God's sake! Why does anything have to come out of a gun? A child has lost his mother, and it was totally unnecessary and preventable. I expect Baldwin will be completely traumatized, too. Imagine shooting someone dead by mistake. I feel sorry for him, because he will surely suffer mentally and emotionally after this. But of course, I feel sorriest for the poor dead woman and her family.
 
Except Brandon Lee was shot with a .44, not a blank. This article says the investigators are checking what type of projectile it was, I'm interested to hear.
looked it up, there was a barrel obstruction from dummy rounds with live primers being fired and the blank drove the bullets out the barrel. If the rules had been followed he would be alive today.
That would not account for 2 shots.

There are many other cases of people being killed by blanks or guns they thought had blanks both in Hollywood and elsewhere.
 
looked it up, there was a barrel obstruction from dummy rounds with live primers being fired and the blank drove the bullets out the barrel. If the rules had been followed he would be alive today.
That would not account for 2 shots.

There are many other cases of people being killed by blanks or guns they thought had blanks both in Hollywood and elsewhere.

Jon Erik Hexum (sp?) was another actor who died this way. Accidentally shot and killed himself not understanding that blanks are not just harmless noise.

It is horrific and has happened enough times so that actors and production team members should know better by now.
 
i dont like this particular Baldwin but my sympathise are with everyone involved

first thing they drummed into us on the range in the army
never ever under any circumstances point a firearm (loaded or not) in jest at anyone
 
Just awful. More gunpowder is used when firing 'movie blanks'. Prop guns are dangerous. There is no need for blank rounds. This could've been avoided with some very cheap post production work(CGI).

From the LA Times article @Demon posted:
snip:
As the camera crew — members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — spent about an hour assembling their gear at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, several nonunion crew members showed up to replace them, the knowledgeable person said.

A member of the producer staff then ordered the union members to leave the set. She said if they didn’t leave, the producers would call security to remove them.

“Corners were being cut — and they brought in nonunion people so they could continue shooting,” the knowledgeable person said.
 
I‘ve been really dwelling on this. My assumption is that this was one shot that hit two people. I don’t know if it was a prank, or a freak accident that happened as part of a scene. I have read that the Prop Master on set is wholly responsible for supervising any firearm and monitoring any use or handling of it with absolute authority. The Prop Master made a grave mistake and should be put on probation in the industry, IMO. Then, the use of usable firearms (even if only usable for blanks) should be banned from all movie sets. I think it’s time. In this day and age, figure it out how to do realistic ”shooting scenes” without the ear damaging noise and the risk to all of actual projectile firearms. My father taught me to NEVER point any gun, loaded or unloaded at a human being, including youself. (My father taught me as a child to fire a BB gun at tin cans for gun handling training and target practice; I would -never- shoot at animals.) To always act as if the gun is loaded, even if you know it isn’t. To have someone spot you always in firing and handling situations. To never leave a gun for someone to pick up, always be in control of it. I think a lot of people made a lot of mistakes in this, including the director who chose to use a live blank firearm for a scene instead of dubbing it in. I’m sorry the loss of this young innocent and talented woman has really saddened me and brought out all of my “nanny like advice”. This incident has also ruined the lives of the person who fired the gun, and the person directing the movie. And likely more individuals. It’s time to eliminate this possibility evermore. So very sad.
 
Just awful. More gunpowder is used when firing 'movie blanks'. Prop guns are dangerous. There is no need for blank rounds. This could've been avoided with some very cheap post production work(CGI).

From the LA Times article @Demon posted:
snip:
As the camera crew — members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — spent about an hour assembling their gear at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, several nonunion crew members showed up to replace them, the knowledgeable person said.

A member of the producer staff then ordered the union members to leave the set. She said if they didn’t leave, the producers would call security to remove them.

“Corners were being cut — and they brought in nonunion people so they could continue shooting,” the knowledgeable person said.

seems Hollywood isnt all that liberal when it comes to saying money
 
I‘ve been really dwelling on this. My assumption is that this was one shot that hit two people. I don’t know if it was a prank, or a freak accident that happened as part of a scene. I have read that the Prop Master on set is wholly responsible for supervising any firearm and monitoring any use or handling of it with absolute authority. The Prop Master made a grave mistake and should be put on probation in the industry, IMO. Then, the use of usable firearms (even if only usable for blanks) should be banned from all movie sets. I think it’s time. In this day and age, figure it out how to do realistic ”shooting scenes” without the ear damaging noise and the risk to all of actual projectile firearms. My father taught me to NEVER point any gun, loaded or unloaded at a human being, including youself. To always act as if the gun is loaded, even if you know it isn’t. To have someone spot you always in firing and handling situations. To never leave a gun for someone to pick up, always be in control of it. I think a lot of people made a lot of mistakes in this, including the director who chose to use a live blank firearm for a scene instead of dubbing it in. I’m sorry the loss of this young innocent and talented woman has really saddened me and brought out all of my “nanny like advice”. This incident has also ruined the lives of the person who fired the gun, and the person directing the movie. And likely more individuals. It’s time to eliminate this possibility evermore. So very sad.

the world needs more people like your grandad to be teaching people the safer way
 
Just awful. More gunpowder is used when firing 'movie blanks'. Prop guns are dangerous. There is no need for blank rounds. This could've been avoided with some very cheap post production work(CGI).

From the LA Times article @Demon posted:
snip:
As the camera crew — members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — spent about an hour assembling their gear at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, several nonunion crew members showed up to replace them, the knowledgeable person said.

A member of the producer staff then ordered the union members to leave the set. She said if they didn’t leave, the producers would call security to remove them.

“Corners were being cut — and they brought in nonunion people so they could continue shooting,” the knowledgeable person said.

If this is true, the director and the film industry of New Mexico needs some serious scrutiny. Replacement of union with non-union and cutting corners should never happen on set.

Also this from the LATimes article posted above: “
There were two misfires on the prop gun on Saturday and one the previous week, the person said, adding “there was a serious lack of safety meetings on this set.”

And the LAT article says that to save costs, camera crew were told they had to drive 50 miles from ABQ daily (its actually more like 64 miles one way!) rather than be housed in Santa Fe. The entire movie sounds to me like a nightmare with very poor management. Just my opinion, I don’t actually know anything.
 
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seems Hollywood isnt all that liberal when it comes to saying money

This is unfortunately purely a greed thing...with the inevitable deadly consequence.

*but I think you'd be tickled to know that in America- your conservatives are what we consider pretty liberal:wink2:
 
heads need to roll over this for everyone's sake including Alex Baldwin
 
NPR published more detail ...

"Alec Baldwin was handed a loaded weapon by an assistant director who indicated it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show.

The assistant director did not know the prop gun was loaded with live rounds, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court."



So, who is this assistant director and if (s)he didn't load the gun, who exactly put the live round(s) into the gun, and why did (s)he do it?
I've read speculation Baldwin may have been set up for spoofing the orange one on SNL.

Gotta love a juicy conspiracy theory, but considering the orange one, the allegation wouldn't surprise me.

Where oh where is Agatha Christie, or Angela Landsbury when you need em?
 
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