Baldwin is supposed to fire all chambers into the ground before using the gun on the set.
I've never heard of that procedure. Not saying it doesn't exist on some sets wherein guns are used, but I've written a number of shows, cops 'n robbers type, have been on set when they were being shot, and not seen an actor pointing a revolver at the floor and pulling the trigger. The armorer loads the gun with however many blanks the actor is supposed to fire and the actor shoots when the director yells, "Action." The actor, however, DOES NOT aim the gun directly at the other actor but off to the side a bit. The camera angle will make it appear he is shooting directly at the other actor.
As Bwana 1 asked, "How do you fire the pistol into the ground 6 times when it holds blanks for the shot ?" Got me. If the revolver is loaded with blanks, you'd hear six (or so) soft "cracks." Then the armorer would have to reload the revolver. Six more clicks??? Huh uh. And what about a pistol? A blank in the chamber and blanks in the magazine? How would an actor check that? No, the armorer is responsible for making sure the gun is safe.
The great mystery here is not "Who dun it?" Everyone knows that Baldwin cocked the revolver, aimed at Hutchins, and pulled the trigger. Bam! Dead woman and wounded man.
No, the mystery is all the sequence of events that led up to a revolver with live ammo being in the hands of an actor. How did the live round get in the revolver? Who put it there? Who put a live round in the dummy rounds or blanks boxes, if that is what happened? Why? Where was the armorer when that live round was being loaded? Did she load it? Why was the revolver not inspected for live rounds? Who were the participants in the off-set plinking activity? What access did any of them have to the blanks or dummy rounds boxes? How did they get the guns they used for plinking?
Boys and girls, you can bet the farm those questions and many, many more are being asked by the S.F. S.O. homicide detectives. Someday, maybe we'll hear just exactly what happened and by whom, BEFORE Baldwin received the revolver. Nevertheless, Baldwin is still responsible for gross negligence in cocking, aiming at the woman, and pulling the trigger, against all standard practices on set.
Just my opinion.
L.W.
Thanks LW for an explanation like Barry’s, from someone that’s actually been there and seen what happens on the Set.
I’m betting if anybody’s criminally charged for negligence, it will be the Armorer. Since she was in charge of the guns and gun safety. Baldwin’s probably gonna lose his ass in the Civil Suit. Read today where the lady’s family that was killed has already hired a Legal Firm, And is planning to sue.
As you said, we will finally see when we have all the answers to those questions the Investigators should be asking. Also, it’s gonna be real interesting to see who was doing the “target practice” with live ammo in that gun, right before all this happened.
Last edited by chlinstructor; 11/04/21.
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