Ban Fake Guns In Hollywood

Clearly the denizens of the Hellmouth can’t handle them:

Alec Baldwin has accidentally shot and killed the female cinematography director of his upcoming western movie Rust and wounded the director while firing a prop gun on set.

The 68-year-old was filming a scene for the movie at Bonanza Creek Ranch, near the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, when the gun went off around 1.50pm, fatally wounding 42-year-old photography director Halyna Hutchins and leaving writer-director Joel Souza, 48, badly injured.

Hutchins – believed to be a married mother-of-one – was rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital in an air ambulance but was later pronounced dead, while Souza was taken by ambulance to the Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center. He has since been released, though his exact condition is unclear.

Meanwhile Baldwin was taken to a Santa Fe detectives’ office to be questioned about the shooting. He was not arrested and was later released without charge – though investigations are ongoing.

I understand how a prop gun mishap – or mishandling – can get an actor or actress shot. They’re actually being aimed at, and loading mistakes can happen. But how do you “accidentally” shoot the directors? Unless they’re standing in for an actor during a run-through, there is no reason to be pointing a gun at them, let alone pulling the trigger.

Anyhow, we’re told that if it saves just one life, it’s worth it, right? And clearly, it would save lives if actors just pointed their fingers at people and shouted “bang!”

UPDATE: Given the fact that the Hollywood crews were on strike and had been replaced by local New Mexicans, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the live rounds were planted by a union member.

It’s unclear where the union got the information that the round fired by Baldwin was a live one, since none of its members were on the movie set.

They’d certainly know if one of their members was responsible for loading it.