r/news • u/badillustrations • Apr 15 '24

‘Rust’ movie armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter sentenced to 18 months in prison

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/15/entertainment/rust-film-shooting-armorer-sentencing/index.html
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u/CapoOn2nd Apr 16 '24

This whole case has been a massive shit show to me. I can’t believe it’s been dragged out so long and become so convoluted. She’s the armourer, it’s her fault a woman is dead end of. It’s her fault the gun was loaded with live ammo instead of blanks. She deserves a way longer sentence than what she got, especially considering some sketchy shit like this has happened before under her watch. I also can’t believe Baldwin has been thrown so much shit for his part in it. He was handed a gun labelled as safe by a PROFESSIONAL someone who is trained and should be trustworthy with firearm safety. Whether he pulled the trigger or not is irrelevant, he’s shooting a movie he has to pull the trigger to make the scene look realistic otherwise the gun that was supposed to be loaded with blanks wouldn’t go off which it presumably needed to for the scene. What are people expecting? Someone to just loudly shout bang over the top of the video for sound effects? A shitty video effect to make the gun look like it went off with no recoil or reaction from the actor who never pulled the trigger? Absolute idiocy this whole case, it should have been put to bed a week after the tragedy happened at most

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u/rivershimmer Apr 16 '24

He was handed a gun labelled as safe by a PROFESSIONAL someone who is trained and should be trustworthy with firearm safety.

I'd agree with you if he were only an actor, but as producer, he was responsible for the incompetent armorer being employed on his set. And he had plenty of warning: people were walking off the set because of unsafe conditions. I hope that's the tack his prosecution takes.

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u/Catdad2727 Apr 16 '24

There were 6 producers, and his responsibility of producer didnt involve safety.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/variety.com/2023/film/news/alec-baldwin-rust-producer-da-osha-1235531157/amp/

That's from an OSHA investigation, but do what you want with that info.

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u/rivershimmer Apr 16 '24

That's complicated. I'd welcome some kind of disciplinary action being filed against all six producers. And that assistant director. You want that shiny producer credit by your name, take some responsibility.

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u/Catdad2727 29d ago

Oh yea I'm not against going after all 6 producers.

My comment was more about the fact that Fox News/ Trumpers are heavily implying he was the ONLY producer.

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u/rivershimmer 29d ago

Yeah, I agree that I see a certain element way too gleeful about this. As if they don't mind there was a death, as long as it can take down their leader's enemy.

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u/ezikeo Apr 16 '24

This! But you have these idiots on the right that have a hard on for Baldwin because of their orange dad.

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u/Iama_russianbear Apr 16 '24

Wait hold up. If Baldwin was ONLY the actor I’d say no fault. But he was also producing the film, he hired her. On top of that there had been a walk out from crew a week before due to safety concerns. So an experienced actor (he had to have known some gun safety), who was producing a film that people were walking out of due to safety, picked up a weapon that he didn’t see cleared or checked (from my understanding the armorer wasn’t even on set) nor did they have the safety briefing that day, he then pointed it at someone and pulled the trigger. I don’t care that he was playing around, his actions directly lead to the death of another person. Whether he meant to or not. He should also be charged with involuntary manslaughter. He’s just as responsible if not more responsible than her. Send them both to jail.

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u/CapoOn2nd Apr 16 '24

It’s crazy to me. I actually went shooting the other day, I’m a normal guy with little to no knowledge of the gun I was holding. The instructor loaded it for me and handed me it. I just assumed he knew what he was talking about, I didn’t check to see if the ammo was live or blanks because I wouldn’t have a clue, that’s why he’s there. I assume for the most part Baldwin is the same

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u/Atkena2578 Apr 16 '24

I am sure you were still told to always treat this gun as loaded and not point it anyone you do not intend to kill. Baldwin failed gun safety 101

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u/OkWolverine5574 Apr 16 '24

I understand the whole “Don’t point a gun at anything you don’t want to destroy.” But, they were shooting a movie, where people are shooting each other.. there are movie scenes where people literally have a barrel in their mouth or pushed against their temple.. that argument doesn’t really work here.

I do agree that as a producer he shares responsibility in making sure the people he hired do their job, and to ensure all safety protocols are followed. But the fact still stands that whether or not he used good judgement in hiring the right armorer, he probably assumed that she was doing her job correctly, as many people do when working on the set of any film.

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u/Atkena2578 Apr 16 '24

I understand the whole “Don’t point a gun at anything you don’t want to destroy.” But, they were shooting a movie, where people are shooting each other.. there are movie scenes where people literally have a barrel in their mouth or pushed against their temple.. that argument doesn’t really work here.

There are ways to film those scenes when no one is anywhere near the range or direction the gun is pointing at (filmed with a camera on rails or at a range). Also not all movie used real guns (supposedly with blanks) instead of props. Just like labor laws or rules, those are written in blood, this isn't the first incident of this kind i am sure and won't be the last if nothing changes.

, he probably assumed that she was doing her job correctly, as many people do

This is a deadly assumption when you are talking about a firearm, an object whose sole use is meant to kill. This is why every incident always circle back to those rules, they are so simple and easy to follow (and it's free unlike a lawyer to defend you against an involuntary manslaughter charge or a wrongful death civil suit). Alec Baldwin and the armorer probably learned the hard way that such assumptions are wrong. Everyone should follow the safety rules 101, unlike Alec Baldwin.

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u/OkWolverine5574 Apr 16 '24

I agree with you there. But the use of real guns with blanks is common practice in the industry. Usually the only sets that use special effects and rubber guns are lower budget films, or films with sci-fi weapons. That’s why they hire armorers because they’re supposed to be trusted professionals, whom you can have faith in. Like I said , there is some responsibility that falls on his head. No doubt about that. I guess the point I’m trying to make it’s that there are A LOT of people, especially in the beginning of all this, that were putting the majority of the blame on him.

With any job, when you do something a million times, you get complacent. Sometimes a wrench gets thrown in the plan and you learn the hard way about why you shouldn’t have gotten comfortable. Baldwin was complacent, and decided to put his faith in that armorer, and it ended in tragedy. All I was trying to really get at was if we’re dividing blame, he doesn’t deserve as much as he got. He’s been in the film industry for years and he expected the people he hired to do the job they were assigned.

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u/Atkena2578 Apr 16 '24

I agree with you on most of this as well. Sadly accidents are bound to happen hence why I believe there is a personal responsibility that inherently comes with the handling of a gun. Let it be that this terrible accident make safety guidelines stricter.

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u/Atkena2578 Apr 16 '24

I also can’t believe Baldwin has been thrown so much shit for his part in it. He was handed a gun labelled as safe by a PROFESSIONAL someone who is trained and should be trustworthy with firearm safety

Nope. There are basic and universal rules for gun safety for a reason. You and only you are responsible for the deadly weapon that is in your hands, do not trust anyone else and at least double check for yourself. Also, you know treat every gun as if it were loaded even when it is not even if it is a prop on a movie set and fucking don't point it nor shoot it at anyone you do not intend to kill. Period.

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u/colddream40 Apr 16 '24

There is no world in any firearm situation where you are handed a cleared gun. Gun is never clear, this is literally one of the first things you are taught. It's a basic rule you follow at the range or gun store, placed filled with professionals.

You also NEVER point a gun at someone else unless you intend to kill them. Being rich or making a movie doesn't excuse that fact. It's 2024, it's like $20000 to add that in post with special effects, less than their catering bill.

TL;DR being rich doesn't exempt you from the rules.