Blasting former President Donald Trump for Tweeting his four years as president, 63-year-old actor Alec Baldwin tweeted today that he thinks a police officer should be on every Hollywood set in which firearms are used. Baldwin claims he accidentally shot and killed Oct. 22 43-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin has gone against professional advice that told him, during the ongoing Santa Fe County Sheriff investigation, to stop speaking in public. Baldwin has denied any responsibility saying he was handed the gun by Asst. Director Dave Halls and told the gun was “cold,” meaning it was free of any live rounds. Like Baldwin, Halls also takes no responsibility for Hutchins’ shooting, passing the buck to 24-year-old “armoer” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, responsible for the set’s firearms.
No one on the “Rust” sets wants to take responsibility for Hutchins’ shooting because the media continues to defend Baldwin, ignoring basic gun safety. Basic gun safety holds the gun operator responsible for any mishap, because, ultimately, before anyone points-and-pulls-the-trigger, the gun operator must be held responsible. But no, only in Hollywood, can you shoot-and-kill someone and face no responsibility. “Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapons safey,” Baldwin tweeted. Baldwin admits he did not inspect the gun himself to determine whether the gun was safe to point-and-shoot at someone on the set. But for some unknown reason, Baldwin pointed the gun at the cinematographer, claiming he was practicing a “cross draw” procedure, requiring him to remove the revolver from the holster.
Baldwin likes to issue his mea culpa for the mishap but doesn’t take any responsibility for pointing-and-shooting Hutchins that fateful day Oct. 22. By tweeting he thinks all Hollywood sets that use guns should be equipped with a police officer, Baldwin admits he didn’t inspect the gun himself before pointing-and-pulling the trigger. Whether or not he practiced a “cross draw” exercise, no one told Alec to point-the-gun at Hutchins and pull the trigger, killing her almost instantly with a .45 caliber slug and wounding Director Joel Sousa from the exit wound. Baldwin hasn’t explained why he pointed-and-pulled-the-trigger at Hutchins, since she was not in the screenplay to rehearse such a scene. Urging a policeman on the set, Baldwin admits he lacked the basic gun safety preparedness to handle a firearm on the set or anywhere else. Hollywood sets aren’t exempt from basic gun safety rules.
No one wants to see a popular actor charged with involuntary manslaughter for an “accidental” death of an innocent bystander. At the same time, anyone who points-a-gun-and-pulls-the-trigger must be held accountable, not because of intent, but because they were the one that discharged the gun and killed someone. Certainly, David Halls must be charged with negligence for telling Baldwin the gun was “cold” without inspecting the Colt 45 revolver for live ammunition. Unless Santa Fe police can prove that Halls or Gutierrez-Reed placed a live round in the chamber deliberately, they still must be charged with negligence for failing to do their job. Baldwin, on the other hand, was the one that pointed the weapon and pulled the trigger, making him ultimately responsible for Hutchins’ death. Saying “I didn’t know the gun was loaded” is no excuse for killing someone.
Baldwin tweeted his regrets for killing “Rust’s” director of photography, a bright young cinematographer with a stellar future ahead of her. “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic incident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son and all who knew and loved Halyna,” Baldwin tweeted Oct. 23. Giving his mea culpa, Baldwin takes no responsibility for pointing the gun at Hutchins and pulling the trigger. He’s all about a carefully scripted mea culpa but takes no responsibility for the incident. Baldwin says he wants to know “how this tragedy occurred,” but accepts no responsibility for pointing-and-shooting the gun.
Whether or not the California legislature bans real firearms or live ammo on TV or film sets doesn’t absolve Baldwin from taking responsibility for Hutchins’ death. Certainly Halls and Gutierrez-Reed also bare some responsibility to Hutchins’ death but they were not the ones that pulled the trigger. Only in Hollywood can you point, shoot and kill someone without any responsibility. However the press wants to excuse Baldwin, Santa Fe authorities must do the right thing and charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter, charging Halls and Gutierrez-Reed with negligence. As long as there’s a Second Amendment that allows citizens to own and operate firearms, basic gun safety laws must hold anyone that points-and-shoots a gun liable for any death or injury. Saying Baldwin didn’t know the gun was loaded is no excuse for anyone in any setting where firearms are used.
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