Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin broke down in tears during an interview about the accidental shooting on the set of his movie called “Rust”. The shooting claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Baldwin claims that he does not feel any guilt because he did nothing wrong. He also claims that he did not actually pull the trigger of the single-action revolver that he was handling at the time of the shooting. The interview has sparked quite a conversation online and off. A few key moments during the interview may require context to gain a full understanding.
Alec Baldwin attempted to deflect responsibility for his role in the shooting at multiple points during this interview. The problem is that “Rust” was his movie. He is the guy in charge. So all of the red flags that happened before this incident ultimately falls on his back. These red flags include staff protesting and eventually walking out over safety concerns and multiple “misfirings” of weapons on set. There was even a report of film crew “plinking” beer cans with live rounds in-between sets. One person almost lost their arm from a spider bite. The movie set was a complete unprofessional mess. So there is no surprise that a tragic accident took place. Some of the staff members spoke out and said they saw it coming.
As far as the claim of Baldwin not actually pulling the trigger on this fateful day, this is a possible explanation. However, that explanation does not exonerate him. Baldwin says that he “cocked” the single-action revolver by pulling the hammer back. Then he says he released the hammer and the gun “went off”. What most likely happened is that he did not fully cock the hammer. He probably pulled the hammer back enough to where it did not lock in place so it fell forward. This is the same action that a fully cocked single-action revolver takes when the trigger is pulled. So although he may have not pulled the trigger, there was still some human manipulation on his part. At best, he mishandled the weapon. Especially since it was aimed at human beings while allegedly “practicing” in-between takes. Completely irresponsible.
Alec Baldwin was very careful with what words he used during the interview. This is probably because the shooting is being reviewed by law enforcement and charges could arise from this. Baldwin and everyone else on set is potentially criminally liable. Maybe even financially liable in a civil action. Even if there is no punishment handed out for this tragedy, a valuable lesson should have been learned. Gun safety is paramount. Proper staff who are educated in the ways that guns operate need to educate on-screen talent so this does not happen again.
SOURCES:
Nolte: Sheriff to Alec Baldwin — ‘Guns Don’t Just Go Off’
Alec Baldwin Says He Feels No Guilt Following Shooting And Killing Of Halyna Hutchins – Bounding Into Comics
Alec Baldwin spotted shopping in Vermont following deadly ‘Rust’ set shooting | Fox News
John Schneider rails against Alec Baldwin for claiming he ‘didn’t pull the trigger’ | Fox News
Alec Baldwin Breaks Down, Says ‘I Didn’t Pull the Trigger’ During Fatal ‘Rust’ Shooting
‘Rust’ Set Worker’s Arm Saved From Spider Bite, Working on Workers’ Comp
‘Rust’: Police Report Reveals Director’s First Account of Shooting
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