Actor Alec Baldwin shoots 2 people, killing one of them.

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Hmm, seems to confirm my theory about a revolver and the frontal shot, though I'm confused by their use of the term "misfire", as that typically refers to a malfunction of the firearm, and not an inadvertent discharge as seems to have happened here. The pictures show a single action revolver, and those typically have very light trigger pulls to begin with, so perhaps they're referring to other people prematurely firing them on the set? Regardless, none of that should have mattered if they'd kept live ammo off the set.

I have to wonder if who they hired even knew anything about firearms.

Replacement Non- union worker was in charge of the prop gun.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com ... p-gun/amp/

Hmm, seems to confirm my theory about a revolver and the frontal shot, though I'm confused by their use of the term "misfire", as that typically refers to a malfunction of the firearm, and not an inadvertent discharge as seems to have happened here. The pictures show a single action revolver, and those typically have very light trigger pulls to begin with, so perhaps they're referring to other people prematurely firing them on the set? Regardless, none of that should have mattered if they'd kept live ammo off the set.

Implications of Baldwin as Both Shooter and Producer

By the way, before I move on to discussing criminal recklessness, there’s another factor in this tragic event that will likely play a role in civil liability, and perhaps criminal liability, if any, for Alec Baldwin.

so, Alec Baldwin was both the actor handling the firearm when it discharged—and an actor might argue that he is at the “bottom” of the safety responsibility ladder for something like a movie set—but he was also a co-producer for the film—which would place him at the “top” of the safety responsibility ladder.

In theory, an actor at the “bottom” and the producer at the “top” might each point their finger at each other in the case of a tragic event like this. That is, the actor might argue that the producer ought to have had better safety protocols in place, and the producer might argue that the actor had the ultimately responsibility for safe handling of the firearm.

In this case, however, Alec Baldwin occupies both seats. So he can point his finger in this manner if he wishes, but ultimately he’ll be pointing it at himself.

And this implication could well apply not merely in the civil law context, within the scope of negligence, but also within the criminal law context, within the scope of recklessness and involuntary manslaughter.

To be clear, our goal here is not necessarily to arrive at a definitive legal answer—I’m not sure we really know enough facts with enough certainty to do that.

But if we can’t immediately arrive at the right legal answer, at the very least we can understand how to ask the right legal question—and that’s what we’ll do right here, right now.

Apparently just enough to be dangerous.

In this case, I'm betting they used a real gun, and someone made up dummy rounds by pulling the powder from off the shelf cartridges (an easy project for someone who handloads) for use in close up shots, but they let one get through that hadn't actually been modified and looked identical to the dummies.

Such a sad tragedy to happen, I don't think Alec Baldwin will ever get over it.

The assistant director of the western film “Rust” grabbed a prop pistol from a gray cart and handed it to the movie’s star, Alec Baldwin, shouting “cold gun!” — which was supposed to indicate that it did not contain any live rounds, and was safe to handle around the crew huddled by the camera.

But the weapon fired when Mr. Baldwin pulled the trigger a few minutes later, discharging a live projectile that hit the director, Joel Souza, in the shoulder and struck the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, in the chest, killing her.

The first official account of the killing, which has rocked the entertainment industry and raised questions about workplace safety issues in film productions, was released late Friday in an affidavit filed by the Santa Fe County sheriff’s department seeking to search the rustic wooden building where the shooting happened.

A state magistrate judge granted the request, which includes an examination of the gun for biological evidence as well as a review of cameras, film, memory cards or other video recorders that may provide information in the case. Mr. Baldwin has cooperated with investigators, a spokesman for the department said. No charges have been filed in the shooting.

[...]

A fatal shooting Thursday on the set of the movie “Rust” killed the film’s cinematographer and wounded the director. Alec Baldwin, one of the starring actors and a producer of the film, fired a weapon used as a prop.

The local police agency is investigating and has made few details public so far.

Here are some things we do not yet know:

What kind of gun was used?

What kind of projectile was in the gun?

Was a scene being filmed, or rehearsed, when the gun was fired?

Who was the armorer or prop master on the set, and what were the safety protocols for using weapons as props? Were the protocols followed?

How was it that two people were struck? Was the weapon discharged more than once?

Mr Baldwin will face additional civil liability, as he is also a\the producer for the film.

Goes to show you, despite what anti-labor types claim, union workers are the most reliable.

Safety Tips for Use of Firearms

[...]
Treat all guns as if they are loaded and deadly.
[...]
Never point a firearm at anyone including yourself. Always cheat the shot by aiming to the right or left of the target character. If asked to point and shoot directly at a living target, consult with the property master or armorer for the prescribed safety procedures.
[...]
Use protective shields for all off stage cast within close proximity to any shots fired.
[...]
Check the firearm every time you take possession of it. Before each use, make sure the gun has been test-fired off stage and then ask to test fire it yourself. Watch the prop master check the cylinders and barrel to be sure no foreign object or dummy bullet has become lodged inside.

Blanks are extremely dangerous. Even though they do not fire bullets out of the gun barrel, they still have a powerful blast than can maim or kill.
[...]
If you are in a production where shots are to be fired and there is no qualified property master, go to the nearest phone and call Actors' Equity Association. A union representative will make sure proper procedures are followed.

State and federal safety laws must be honored at all times.

It seems like the producer was ignoring union rules\"guidelines":

Source: https://www.actorsequity.org/resources/Producers/safe-and-sanitary/safety-tips-for-use-of-firearms/

Interestingly, the Producer was a union member - https://www.actorsequity.org/join/HIGMEC/AlecBaldwin/

So it seems union membership has no bearing on this case, nor any relationship to the "reliability" of the person\people involved...

I was talking about the non-union crew (including whoever prepared the gun) who replaced the union workers who walked off the set to protest bad working conditions. Had their concerns been met, this might not have happened.