Alec Baldwin's Trial Sparks Cry for Safer Sets

From shoot-‘em-up Westerns to international spy thrillers, movies have prominently featured guns since the earliest days of film. The presence of firearms naturally introduces risk on movie sets. In response, production companies hire crew members called “armorers” to ensure the safe use of firearms and other weapons. In this role, also referred to as “weapons master,” “weapons wrangler,” or “weapons coordinator,” an armorer’s responsibilities include properly storing weapons, cleaning firearms, and checking them before and after each take.

On-Set Accidents: A Grim Reality

While strict safety rules are standard in the film industry, on-set accidents still occur despite the precautions in place. No entity tracks accidents on international film sets, but through its research, the Associated Press estimated in 2016 that 43 people have died on film sets since 1990. These accidents included falling, drowning, vehicle accidents, and mishaps involving firearms.

Alec Baldwin and the ‘Rust’ Incident

Alec Baldwin, 2016. Photo by Gage Skidmore under CC BY-SA 2.0.

The most recent well-known accident involved the death of a cinematographer on the set of “Rust,” a Western undergoing production in New Mexico. Actor Alec Baldwin discharged a gun while preparing for a scene, resulting in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza.

Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set, were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March 2024. The charges against Baldwin were dropped, but he was charged again in January 2024. The trial took place in July 2024, and his case was dismissed.

Historical Incidents: Brandon Lee and Jon-Erik Hexum

In 1993, actor Brandon Lee, son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, died while filming a scene for “The Crow.” An autopsy revealed a bullet near his spine even though the prop gun was supposed to have been loaded with blanks.

Jon-Erik Hexum, 1984. Photo by Christie Jenkins under CC BY 2.5.

In 1984, Jon-Erik Hexum, star of the TV series “Cover Up,” grabbed an on-set gun, aimed it at his head, and pulled the trigger while jokingly playing Russian roulette. The shot he fired was a blank, but the blast’s impact still caused damage, resulting in his death a week later.

Debate Over Real Guns on Set

There are no laws governing the use of weapons on movie sets, but Hollywood follows “Safety Bulletins,” written and distributed by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee. Hutchins’ accidental death on the set of “Rust” spurred an ongoing debate over banning the use of real firearms on movie sets entirely. Proponents of real guns say the weapons contribute to the authenticity of production, while opponents say the effects are not worth the risks.

References: Guns on a Set Can Often Spell Danger | AP: Too quiet on the set; filming accidents often go untold
| Alec Baldwin Rust shooting: A timeline of events in Halyna Hutchins’ death | On-set deaths from prop guns are rare–but not unheard of | Jon-Erik Hexum’s Fatal Joke
| Rust Killing Forces Hollywood to Make Choices on Guns | Alec Baldwin weeps in court as judge announces involuntary manslaughter case is dismissed midtrial