Alec Baldwin Movie Set Accident

[TheGrayRider]

Sad decision. I'm dumbfounded by the lack of responsibility the system placed on the shooter of a loaded gun that killed someone.

These same people want to restrict responsible gun owners.........

I'm sad for the family of the person killed most of all. It was criminal negligence at the least. My sympathies.

As for Baldwin. I don't care.

Stormy Kromer, thanks for your post. Likewise, I feel sorry for the decedent and her family and for the hundreds of thousands of victims of crime over the years.

However, I am not dumbfounded by this latest incident of another Hollywood-elite, connected, entitled, wealthy criminal getting a free pass after killing another human being unjustifiably.

Remember the old Edward Kennedy night driving off the bridge and killing a young lady decades ago. Nothing done there. Similar situation to old Alec.

Equal justice under the law. Right! Unless you’re rich and then you just buy your freedom. Society values money and wealth more than life but you will always hear otherwise. Sad…

Happy hunting, TheGrayRider.

 

[Joker12]

So much for justice for All.

That concept has been dead for a long time.

 

[Katy Darren]

I’ve got a buddy who teaches firearms classes, does training etc and his go to question for getting on the range is ‘was Alec Baldwin guilty’. Yes and you’re ok, No is instant fail and you’re not shooting on his range. Unfortunately Baldwin and most non gun people don’t understand that at all.

That said, and as much as I really don’t like Alec Baldwin, I do find it hard to blame him due to that exact ignorance about firearms. There never should’ve been a real bullet anywhere on that set and how it got there and into that gun is the root of the problem. However, this crap has happened before and if you’re pointing a gun and shooting at another human you would think a person with a little bit of common sense would want to double check that before doing so. Again, that’s not Alec Baldwin so…

 

[bowjijohn]

I find him culpable

firstly as the holder of a live firearm

even if he can wriggle out of that

he is culpable as a / the senior manager of the film company whose practices and H and S culture fell well below acceptable standards

 

[Bonk]

I told you he would be acquitted or the charges dropped. Like I've said repeatedly, he's a jerk but being a jerk isn't an element of criminal charges. The charges weren't dropped because he's a celebrity. They were dropped because there wasn't enough proof (yet) he committed a crime. The DA also said it ain't over yet. They're still looking at it and charges could be brought at a later date.

Some of you need to refocus your lens. Justice was served but some of you don't like the outcome because of a bias against Baldwin. One more time, I despise the man but, so far, this was the correct decision if the only thing that matters is the law. Even assholes get the benefit of the doubt and are presumed innocent until PROVED otherwise.

 

[MS 9x56]

Smoking gun in his hand, dead women on floor wasn’t enough proof? American justice for sale!

 

[Tbitty]

Some of you need to refocus your lens. Justice was served but some of you don't like the outcome because of a bias against Baldwin. One more time, I despise the man but, so far, this was the correct decision if the only thing that matters is the law. Even assholes get the benefit of the doubt and are presumed innocent until PROVED otherwise.

To quote the movie Shooter: "For the record, I don't like the way this turned out any more than you do, but this is the world we live in and justice does not always prevail. It's not the Wild West where you can clean up the streets with a gun... even though sometimes that's exactly what's needed."

Justice was NOT served. Those leading the investigation elected to apply the law in a manner that allowed Baldwin to kill someone with zero consequences. I doubt you would feel the same way if the person who was killed was in your family. ... do not confuse Justice with the Law.

 

[meigsbucks]

Tell me how someone who fires a gun, even unintentionally, kills someone and wounds another doesn’t have a degree of culpability?
You or I shoot someone and say the ubiquitous: “I didn’t know the gun was loaded.”, would find ourself in jail. I’m hoping the family of Hutchins gets a huge settlevent.

 

[Joker12]

Whoever dismissed the charges did justice a disservice. That being said I don't know exactly what the charges were but he was certainly guilty of negligence. He didn't personally check the revolver, he pointed it at her and lets not forget that this was a single action revolver which means that he cocked the hammer back. Weather or not that was criminal should have been left to a jury. Even if the gun in question was defective in some way it couldn't point and cock itself! His absolute refusal to accept any responsibility is disgusting.

 

[Hunter4752001]

I wouldn't be giving up hope. ( Note: I'm not familiar enough with US laws, I'm interpreting from general principal as it would apply in my country).
My understanding is that the charges have been withdrawn to allow investigation of the "further evidence" presented by the defence at the last minute. The prosecutors have stressed that charges may be reinstated once the new 'evidence' has been investigated. The matter was due for hearing in a few days. Had they proceeded in the face of potentially exculpatory evidence, it was likely the defendant would have been acquitted. Once acquitted, double jeopardy rules mean he couldn't be re-tried even if the new 'evidence' was ultimately shown to be false or irrelevant. In cases like this, withdrawing charges is a tactical move to give investigators the opportunity to investigate the evidence and plug any holes and re-charge at a later date.

 

[WellThatsNotRight]

Imagine you are an Uber driver. You are not a car guy, you are a transportation specialist… of sorts. You are an independent contractor scratching out a living doing what you love best; making money slightly more slowly than your car depreciates.

Since you are not a car guy you take your Toyota Camry to a “mechanic” for repairs. You take it to a tire shop that has billboards on the highway and gets good Yelp reviews. They rotate your tires and change the break pads and off you go.

Your next passenger gets in, you zoom down the highway to get them to the airport, and the wheels fall off because the incompetent, untrained child who put the nuts on, really didn’t.

You took on the inherently dangerous endeavor of driving a car, but you didn’t bring your torque wrench to double check the work of the subcontractor you hired to make the car safe. Hell, as a not-a-car-guy you wouldn’t know a torque wrench from a pipe wrench. How culpable are you here? How negligent are you here?

(This scenario presumes you have no objectionable political views that make armchair legal experts all grumpy and conflate feelings with actual law.)

 

[503]

If you're on a movie set why would there be real gun and or live ammo there? He wasn't on a range shooting guns where gun safety rules are paramount.

If I'm acting in a movie and the prop guy hands me a prop gun why would there be any reason to think it's a real gun with live ammo?

I'm not defending shitty gun handling or lack of gun safety but a movie set isn't a range. If I'm in a war movie and someone hands me a grenade and says throw it I'm probably going to assume it's not a real grenade.....

The prop/ armory people should be in prison. That's inexcusable.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Baldwin is an abusive dirtbag. The only thing that surprises me is that it took him until his 60s to do something this stupid.

Shouldn't be lost that Baldwin was a producer for this movie, thus he hired the armorer who handed him a loaded pistol which he failed to check. As with any tragedy like this, I feel sympathy for the victim and family. Hopefully, Baldwin gets what any of the rest of us would be getting in the same circumstance.

At least I understand your why and what you are saying, (I'm sure others do too), it's not that we are making jokes about or in relevance to those killed and injured.

IMO only! It's about pointing a finger at this conceded, anti a$$hole, that has aligned himself with various anti groups, yet he makes mega bucks as a lead or lead support actor, director in/ of movies that the anti's are against. (If that ain't hypocritical).

It's not whose to blame for this killing and wounding... It's who is not to be blamed!!

IMO: Mocking Baldwin is nothing more than a constant reminder to him that he is seen as an idiot, and this is and will forever be a constant reminder to him that his stupidity cost one person their life and forever changed a survivor's life and career.

Bottom line...When and Where Any Firearm is around It Is Everyone's Responsibility to Insure the Safety of Everyone in the Area.!!!

 

[shootist~]

Imagine you are an Uber driver. You are not a car guy, you are a transportation specialist… of sorts. You are an independent contractor scratching out a living doing what you love best; making money slightly more slowly than your car depreciates.

Since you are not a car guy you take your Toyota Camry to a “mechanic” for repairs. You take it to a tire shop that has billboards on the highway and gets good Yelp reviews. They rotate your tires and change the break pads and off you go.

Your next passenger gets in, you zoom down the highway to get them to the airport, and the wheels fall off because the incompetent, untrained child who put the nuts on, really didn’t.

You took on the inherently dangerous endeavor of driving a car, but you didn’t bring your torque wrench to double check the work of the subcontractor you hired to make the car safe. Hell, as a not-a-car-guy you wouldn’t know a torque wrench from a pipe wrench. How culpable are you here? How negligent are you here?

(This scenario presumes you have no objectionable political views that make armchair legal experts all grumpy and conflate feelings with actual law.)

Then let's not assume, but know for a fact you are an actual movie actor and Producer, with over three decades of experience - including numerous movies using real, aka "prop" guns; with many hours of instruction and training; plus many more hours of practice on and off the set; countless safety briefings; and with full knowledge of Industry Standards.

And someone (not the armourer, btw), hands you a single action Revolver (not defective per the FBI) - which you don't bother to even give a cursory check - and you quick draw (like a trained professional who gets paid to look real), while cocking the hammer, aim and fire in the direction of other people on the set, killing one and injuring another.

Thats not remotely similar to hiring someone else, a professional mechanic, to fix his brakes. IMO, Baldwin Was the professional mechanic in this case.

 

[CJW]

If you're on a movie set why would there be real gun and or live ammo there? He wasn't on a range shooting guns where gun safety rules are paramount.

If I'm acting in a movie and the prop guy hands me a prop gun why would there be any reason to think it's a real gun with live ammo?

I'm not defending shitty gun handling or lack of gun safety but a movie set isn't a range. If I'm in a war movie and someone hands me a grenade and says throw it I'm probably going to assume it's not a real grenade.....

The prop/ armory people should be in prison. That's inexcusable.

That's the problem I have with the whole thing. A set full of grown adults and not a brain among them to decide that using real guns is a bad idea and unnecessary. This includes the deceased.

I feel for her family.

 

[Velo Dog]

Imagine you are an Uber driver. You are not a car guy, you are a transportation specialist… of sorts. You are an independent contractor scratching out a living doing what you love best; making money slightly more slowly than your car depreciates.

Since you are not a car guy you take your Toyota Camry to a “mechanic” for repairs. You take it to a tire shop that has billboards on the highway and gets good Yelp reviews. They rotate your tires and change the break pads and off you go.

Your next passenger gets in, you zoom down the highway to get them to the airport, and the wheels fall off because the incompetent, untrained child who put the nuts on, really didn’t.

You took on the inherently dangerous endeavor of driving a car, but you didn’t bring your torque wrench to double check the work of the subcontractor you hired to make the car safe. Hell, as a not-a-car-guy you wouldn’t know a torque wrench from a pipe wrench. How culpable are you here? How negligent are you here?

(This scenario presumes you have no objectionable political views that make armchair legal experts all grumpy and conflate feelings with actual law.)

Hello WellThatsNotRight,

Mechanical failure is not the same thing as reckless driving.
As far as we know, the Alec Baldwin revolver was not mechanically defective.
Your notion would hold more water if your Uber driver was operating his recently tire-rotated Toyota Camry at 100 miles per hour, through a school playground, after having tied a blindfold over his own eyes.

So, I respectfully disagree with you,
Velo Dog.

 

[Denvir Tire]

Imagine you are an Uber driver. You are not a car guy, you are a transportation specialist… of sorts. You are an independent contractor scratching out a living doing what you love best; making money slightly more slowly than your car depreciates.

Since you are not a car guy you take your Toyota Camry to a “mechanic” for repairs. You take it to a tire shop that has billboards on the highway and gets good Yelp reviews. They rotate your tires and change the break pads and off you go.

Your next passenger gets in, you zoom down the highway to get them to the airport, and the wheels fall off because the incompetent, untrained child who put the nuts on, really didn’t.

You took on the inherently dangerous endeavor of driving a car, but you didn’t bring your torque wrench to double check the work of the subcontractor you hired to make the car safe. Hell, as a not-a-car-guy you wouldn’t know a torque wrench from a pipe wrench. How culpable are you here? How negligent are you here?

(This scenario presumes you have no objectionable political views that make armchair legal experts all grumpy and conflate feelings with actual law.)

This hits close to home for a guy named Denvir Tire, guess what I do for a living...
While your premise is valid at face value, some other factors need to be considered. If a person is a "transportation specialist, of sorts" one might assume that person is familiar with the machine they're operating. Said machine can be a Camry, sewing machine or a firearm. My point is that if you have previous extensive experience with the "machine" in question, it's logical to assume that you'll be able to detect if it's functioning correctly or not?
After all, you've logged thousands of miles in this car, to this airport and you have no warning whatsoever there's a problem with the wheels/tires????
Now one might also ask, was Alec Baldwin an experienced operator of firearms???
Even the most rudimentary inquiry regarding this turns up Alec's father.
Who taught you firearm safety? Proper gun handling? Marksmanship? Perhaps your father??

Alec Baldwin's father was a US Marine. Alec (most likely), learned any firearm skills he might have from his father. The senior Baldwin was a high school teacher who was also the school Rifle Team Coach, for 28 years. So, we have Marine father, coaching a rifle team of high school students raising a son. Can you imagine any scenario where somehow Alec Baldwin is not aware of gun safety rules?
But wait, there's more...
Mr Baldwin was medically discharged from the Marine Corps after being shot in the shoulder during live fire training. Here's a father with the means, motive and opportunity to instill proper gun handling and safety into his students and, most likely, his son.
It's indeed a tragedy, and Alec Baldwin is not a killer, however ask yourselves, have you forgotten enough of your early firearm safety training to find yourself in his current position??

 

[MS 9x56]

What part of smoking gun in his hand dead girl on the floor did I misunderstand? All the rest is smoke and mirrors and extraneous BS.

 

[Hunt anything]

Evidently “I didn’t know it was loaded” is now a valid excuse. Unfreaking believable.

 

[503]

Why would a prop gun on a movie set be loaded?..... also if the armorer on set hands you a "gun" and the director says point it at me so we can get the right angle why in world would anyone reasonably think they would hand you a real weapon with live ammo in it... on a movie set?....