Tragedy on Alec Baldwin's film set

[Gingernaut]

Alec Baldwin has shot two people with what was thought to be a prop gun.

One person, he cinematographer is dead and the second has been hospitalised.

Absolutely stunning news.

www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/us/alec-baldwin-shooting-rust-movie.html

[VinoBianca]

I can't believe this, how awful!

[SameToo]

How does this happen??! Awful news.

[SnottyLottie]

You think lessons would have been learned after Brandon Lee. How on earth was this allowed to happen? Poor people.

[dementedpixie]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59005500 from BBC news. Tragic news, he must feel awful

[NomoreSmiggle]

Oh god this is horrific

[Glitterybug]

How the hell can this happen these days!

[ComDummings]

Just read about it, that poor woman. Reminds me of the Brandon Lee tragedy. It seems the director was also hospitalised so it would seem they were trying to get a particular scene (as the director would be next to her) and it’s all gone horribly wrong. Alec has to live with that for the rest of his life, he must be distraught.

[StormyTeacups]

Why was he pointing a gun at them in the first place? I could understand slightly more if they were fellow actors shooting a scene etc. And how two people? Shoot once, reaim, shoot again?

[SylvanasWindrunner]

Twitter is full of right-wing gun nuts crowing about it. Gross.

Really horrible. He must be absolutely devastated. How on earth did it happen?!

[SaltedCaramelHC]

I saw that this morning too. It's horrific. I can't imagine how he must feel either, let alone her family.

I wonder what happens legally with it all. Clearly an accident, but it must still be complicated.

[SylvanasWindrunner]

@StormyTeacups

Why was he pointing a gun at them in the first place? I could understand slightly more if they were fellow actors shooting a scene etc. And how two people? Shoot once, reaim, shoot again?

I'd imagine because they were behind the camera and that's where he was aiming for the shot. They often have Perspex and stuff to protect people though - blank rounds aren't completely harmless because the mechanism inside can fail, which I believe is what happened in the Brandon Lee case. It may have only been one shot - apparently things can happen that mean the blank round gets stuck and then the next shot shatters into projectiles.

[Elderflower14]

Very very sad. Reminded me of Brandon Lee being killed by a prop gun on The Crow...

[StormyTeacups]

That makes sense

[Gingernaut]

Filming has been shut down, of course and an investigation has begun.

Presumably, they'll be able to work out what happened.

Horrific.

[LawnFever]

@StormyTeacups

Why was he pointing a gun at them in the first place? I could understand slightly more if they were fellow actors shooting a scene etc. And how two people? Shoot once, reaim, shoot again?

It was supposed to be a prop gun but somehow must’ve been real and loaded.

How completely tragic

[Snowdropsandbluebells]

I read this earlier and it's just heartbreaking.
Just awful

[WheelieBinPrincess]

It is a tragedy and an awful thing to happen but your OP sounds positively gleeful.

[dementedpixie]

I think Stunning in the OP was supposed to mean they were Stunned by the news rather than the usual meaning of Stunning. Wrong word choice I suppose

[Gingernaut]

The gun may very well have been a prop, the 'blanks' are fired with a explosive charge.

If standing too close, it's possible to hurt someone very badly, as the wadding is still fired with as much force as a real bullet.

Dummy bullets are used in props for close up views - this makes the gun look 'loaded'.

There were supposed to be a lot of improvements in gun safety after Brandon Lee was killed.

[Gingernaut]

@dementedpixie

I think Stunning in the OP was supposed to mean they were Stunned by the news rather than the usual meaning of Stunning. Wrong word choice I suppose

This.

Stunned, as in speechless, not stunned as in awed.

[wolfstarling]

The gun misfired.

[SpindelWhorl]

Yes, it's news that has stunned people, I think is meant.

It's so bizarre that when I first saw the news in the early hours I felt like I was reading about an episode of Murder She Wrote. Bullets replaced? Wtf.

But this is real, a real tragedy, and a talented woman cinematographer in her early 40s is now dead. That's some serious negligence or worse.

[Hopeisallineed]

How is it two people? 😳

[Ostryga]

A gun misfire is when a gun doesn’t go off. This obviously didn’t misfire.

I can’t get my head around how this could possibly have happened and what safety measures were ignored. Completely tragic situation.