After accidentally shooting and killing Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, Alec Baldwin has called for a new approach to films involving guns.
As investigations into the tragic shooting death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins continue, Alec Baldwin has offered a suggestion for added safety on film sets involving firearms going forward.
Taking to Instagram, he called for police presence to “monitor” the handling of weapons, whether they were “fake or otherwise”.
“Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapons safety,” he wrote Monday.
Baldwin has been at the heart of an ongoing debate in show business about the use of real firearms on sets after a live round discharged from a gun he was holding on the set of Rust last month, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The film’s director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident and required hospitalisation.
After the tragedy, Baldwin released a statement saying, “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours.
“I’m fully co-operating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
The shocking incident has encouraged discussions about film crew safety, prompting calls for industry wide reform and calling to mind previous fatalities related to guns, including the death of actor Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow.
In an essay for Variety, Lee’s sister Shannon Lee encouraged moving away from real firearms on set.
She wrote, “Hollywood, I know you know that guns that fire blanks on sets also unnerve and injure people. They create a lot of tension and anxiety for all involved. I’ve talked to some who are relieved now that their production is moving away from real firearms and blanks.
“Innovating away from real firearms could be seen as a level of care for the basic stress and mental health levels of cast and crew. And the technology exists. And if it doesn’t exist to your standards, then I encourage you to innovate even further.
“What new movie magic could you create if you put your mind to it?”
Meanwhile, disturbing claims have emerged about the crew members responsible for weapons on Rust.
Head armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, and the assistants who worked with her on the Santa Fe set in New Mexico allegedly played around with the weapons, left them leaning against their own bodies or propped up with the barrel in the ground, sometimes while they played with their mobile phones, a “horrified” source told Fox News.
Camera assistant Lane Luper, who walked off the set before the fatal shooting due to safety issues, described Gutierrez-Reed’s armoury crew as “three inexperienced people” in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
Jason Bowles, a lawyer for the young armourer, disputed the Fox source’s claims and told the outlet: “Hannah was very well trained by her father, Thell, who worked with her on sets from the time she was 10 years old. She did everything she could to ensure safety on the set.”
The Rust incident is still under investigation.
Originally published as Alec Baldwin calls for police presence on film sets with guns after Rust tragedy
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