Alec Baldwin Rust shooting: how a propeller pistol killed Halyna Hutchins
Gun experts weigh in on the death of Halyna Hutchins after Alec Baldwin accidentally shot the mother of a child on set.
Gun experts say it is “abundantly clear” Rust's on set safety protocols were not followed after actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a propeller gun.
The director of the film, Joel Souza, was also shot and injured but has since been released from the hospital.
While police are still investigating Thursday's fatal crash on the New Mexico Plateau, many wonder how a propeller gun could kill someone and what kind of safety protocols were in place to prevent that. does not happen.
Fox News has spoken to accessories and weapon experts about the incident and how it became fatal.
'It's incredible'
This accident is "an unprecedented procedural failure in the history of gun safety. It’s amazing, ”said Michael Corrie, film and props historian. Fox News.
“The person responsible for loading and making sure the firearm is ready for the scene is called a gunsmith [or weapons master], and you're supposed to have a gunsmith and an assistant gunsmith.
“Then there are several steps you're supposed to take to make sure a gun is loaded correctly with the right type of blanks,” Corrie explained.
“Because there is more than one type of blank, there are low power blanks, then medium power blanks and then high power blanks, and they create different visual effects. "
“Before the actor even receives the weapon, it is supposed to go through several security steps before it is handed over to the actor. And the actor must confide that the gunsmith and everyone else involved did their job properly before handing the gun to the actor, ”he continued.
What is the role of a gunsmith?
The gunsmith is a fairly new position in the history of film production, dating back only to the 1980s. Before that, the prop master took care of everything. Recently, it has become more common to recruit specialists.
The weapon master or gunsmith must be on the board whenever a weapon is used.
The Actors' Equity Association guidelines state: "Before each use, make sure the gun has been tested off-stage, then ask to test it yourself. Watch the prop master check the cylinders and barrel to be sure no foreign objects or dummy bullets have lodged inside.
In addition, "All loading of firearms should be carried out by the owner of the property, the gunsmith or experienced persons working under their direct supervision."
A propeller firearm can be applied to anything from a rubber toy to a real firearm that can fire a projectile. However, if it is used for shooting (even blank) it is considered a real pistol.
A blank is a type of firearm cartridge that contains gunpowder but no bullet. Yet it can seriously injure or kill anyone nearby, according to the Actors' Equity Association.
It is still unclear what was fired from the weapon Baldwin used on the set. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office is investigating "type of projectile that was fired."
"Extremely Serious" Treatment of Firearms on the Set
Sean Matson, a retired Navy SEAL who worked with cast on CBS's drama Team SEAL in the handling of weapons, told Fox News, “Chain of custody is extremely serious [in regard to weapons on set]. “
“You have to teach people the discipline of the barrel. I mean, things that you teach a basic person who is going to use a gun, ”Matson continued.
"So every time someone hands me a gun, even if they tell me it's unloaded, the first thing I do is verify that it's unloaded. I'll take out the magazine and do a visual check, day and night, to make sure it's clear. And I know 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, the condition of this weapon. It’s so critical.
Matson said on the procedural TV show that there are retired SEALS on set to “help out and make sure there is realism in the movement where their guns are pointed… just that extra level. control or verification is what helps ”.
Stephen Gutowski, founder of The Recharge, a firearms journalist and gun safety instructor, told Fox News, “Safety protocols on set were not followed. It’s quite clear at this point. And I think the main takeaway from this whole situation is that guns - even prop guns - aren't toys. And if you are going to use them, especially in a professional capacity, like on a movie set, you must be trained in their use and you must follow safety rules of all types.
What type of weapon was used?
Rusting takes place in the 1880s, and Gutowski felt that production could use a single-action revolver appropriate for the period.
“They make replicas, and they still produce real single-action revolvers today that are similar to the ones used at the time this movie is supposed to be set,” he said.
“It depends on the type of weapon they were using. But even if they used a blank gun, you know, a propeller gun designed to work with blanks. Specifically, it's possible that someone loaded an actual bullet into this pistol, and they could still propel that bullet projectile down and out of the barrel at someone, even though it wasn't necessarily designed. to do it.
It's unclear why Hutchins and Souza were in the line of fire, but it's quite common to have a gun pointed at the camera and, by extension, the cinematographer, to get a certain angle.
“We've all seen the really famous shots in movies where you get that dramatic effect of a gun pointed at you, the audience, and of course, it's pointed at the camera,” Steven Hall told The Associated Press. .
Hall is a Second Unit veteran and cinematographer who has worked on films like Fury and Thor: The Dark World.
"To minimize that, you would put a remote camera there, or at least if someone has to use the camera, I'm normally protected by safety glasses, a safety visor and often a PERSPEX screen that withstands almost anything." . Obviously he wouldn't resist a real gunshot, but he would certainly resist a blank.
How can a propeller gun kill?
The Les Rouiller incident brought to mind similar tragedies on set, including the accidental death of actor Brandon Lee in 1993 on the set of The Raven.
Lee died after being hit by a bullet that lodged in the barrel of a gun, which was fired with the blank cartridge. Lee was the son of legendary martial arts star Bruce Lee.
In 2017, Gold Coast actor and stuntman Johann Ofner, 28, was gunned down while filming a music video for Australian hip hop group Bliss N Esso. He was killed when a shotgun loaded with blank cartridges was fired at his chest.
In August, a coronary investigation into Ofner's death found that shooting tests had not been carried out on the weapon in question.
The video's stunt coordinator, Judd Wild, said he was unsure if a projectile had been loaded into the gun and that other stuntmen were instructed to aim the guns away from others.
The ongoing investigation into Mr. Ofner's death will examine the adequacy of the training and safety briefings provided to staff on the production set as well as the regulations surrounding the use of firearms by the entertainment, film and production industry.
In 1984, actor Jon Erik-Hexum died while producing a television series Cover when he fired a loaded gun with a blank in his temple.
The strength of the cotton wool was sufficient to fatally injure him.
The crew 'left' for dangerous working conditions before the tragedy
There has been a wave of dismay and anger at all levels of the industry that something like this has happened.
Director James Gunn tweeted that his biggest fear was that "someone would be fatally injured on one of my sets."
I'm assuming that even with following the rules there's a level of inherent risk? I don't actually know anything about this though. It's so sad. Thinking of the crew and families, and hope everyone gets the support they need 💔
— Nomirra (@MartaMHRM) October 22, 2021
that “There's no way what happened the Rusty could have happened if each person had followed the rules.
Actor Alex Winter also tweeted, “The crew should never be in danger on set, and when they are, there's always a clearly definable reason.”
Echoing their concerns, it has since emerged that before the fatal accident, a number of workers from the film crew left the Rouiller set to protest the working conditions amid safety concerns over the workers. prop guns, which had already misfire before Baldwin handled the gun.
According to the Los Angeles Times, cameramen and assistants complained about long hours, long commutes, and difficulty collecting their paychecks while working on the low-budget film.
Sources quoted by the publication said at least one of the cameramen complained to production managers about gun safety on set.
Three crew members present at the Bonanza Creek ranch the day Halyna was killed also said they were particularly concerned about two accidental propeller gun discharges earlier in the week.
According to crew members, Baldwin's stuntman accidentally fired two shots on Saturday after learning the weapon was "cold."
One of the crew members who witnessed this episode told the Los Angeles Times, “There should have been an investigation into what happened.
“There were no security meetings. There was no assurance that this would not happen again. All they wanted to do was rush, rush, rush.
Another colleague was so alarmed by the misfires of the propeller gun that he texted the unit's production manager. “We have now had 3 accidental discharges. It's super dangerous, "he wrote, according to a copy of the post reviewed by The Times.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fox News and is reproduced here with permission.
