On October 21st, 2021, renowned actor Alec Baldwin was on set of a new movie called Rust in Santa Fe County, New Mexico when his character, an outlaw, required a prop gun. The assistant director handed Baldwin a gun that supposedly had no live rounds in it. However, the gun contained live ammo and Baldwin fired the gun, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
At the time of the accident, Baldwin was rehearsing a scene in a church pew and was handed the prop gun for practice prior to shooting. The intention was to “cross draw” a revolver, point it towards the camera lens, and shoot a fake bullet. However, because the gun was unknowingly loaded with live ammunition, Baldwin fired, striking cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest and director Joel Souza in the shoulder. Unfortunately, Hutchins passed away, and Souza was injured.
To add to the depth of the investigation, prior to the shooting, a union of camera crew members walked off set in protest of unfair working conditions; Their grievances included 13-hour long workdays and delayed paychecks. Though this may seem like a separate issue, it contributes to the question of negligence over safe working environments, which Rust seemed to be lacking. Perhaps the time crunch and the low-budget contributed to this negligence, as it was only a 21 day shoot.
The use of real guns in the film industry is common, but accidents such as this rarely happen because safety is a number one priority. Though the investigation of this shooting is still ongoing, it is almost certain that some safety protocols were overlooked. In an article explaining safety protocols on film sets, the New York Times states, “Guns should never be pointed directly at anyone, especially in rehearsals but even during actual filming.” In the moments leading up to the incident, this exact scenario played out. Additionally and most importantly, there should never be live ammunition. Rather than looking at tighter restrictions on firearm safety protocols, it is important production companies are aware of the current rules for gun usage.
The next question is who will be held accountable. Of course, there were multiple people involved and though many fingers point to Baldwin for ultimately shooting the gun, it is important to understand that it was the responsibility of safety personnel to ensure there was no live ammunition. The killing was undoubtedly unintentional. While Baldwin has not been able to talk about the ongoing investigation, he said in an interview by paparazzi that Hutchins “was my friend.” As for the criminal charges, none have been ruled out as the investigation has still not concluded. The gun being loaded with live ammunition is a strong reason for pressing harsher charges, however, because Baldwin and those on set claim to be unaware, the situation is more complicated. Apart from the investigation itself, Baldwin seems to be facing internal moral conflicts because carrying the guilt of unintentionally taking a life is not easy.
This shooting is yet another example of the issues of gun control and safety in our nation, especially in gun regulations. Reform of gun laws is a highly debated topic and has come to light during incidences like this one. Tighter restrictions and rules on gun safety would make for a safer environment during both filming movies and everyday life. However, the greater priority is to stick by the rules already in place, no matter the deadlines.
