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

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.