The Prague Post - 'Rust' producers showed 'indifference' to gun safety: report

EUR -
AED 4.339901
AFN 82.97291
ALL 97.977767
AMD 454.421545
ANG 2.114593
AOA 1083.514144
ARS 1423.268618
AUD 1.793979
AWG 2.126855
AZN 2.004379
BAM 1.956812
BBD 2.386134
BDT 145.035005
BGN 1.956116
BHD 0.445476
BIF 3520.220489
BMD 1.181586
BND 1.501677
BOB 8.165705
BRL 6.408094
BSD 1.181811
BTN 101.016241
BWP 15.631621
BYN 3.8675
BYR 23159.08677
BZD 2.373677
CAD 1.608292
CDF 3404.149244
CHF 0.932156
CLF 0.028694
CLP 1101.11779
CNY 8.465003
CNH 8.458006
COP 4829.591229
CRC 596.508486
CUC 1.181586
CUP 31.312031
CVE 110.322053
CZK 24.677416
DJF 210.442597
DKK 7.460452
DOP 70.266338
DZD 152.801294
EGP 58.443729
ERN 17.723791
ETB 162.823369
FJD 2.635823
FKP 0.861135
GBP 0.858871
GEL 3.213878
GGP 0.861135
GHS 12.230549
GIP 0.861135
GMD 84.475209
GNF 10244.29786
GTQ 9.0877
GYD 247.140489
HKD 9.27548
HNL 30.883972
HRK 7.534993
HTG 154.990153
HUF 399.159882
IDR 19146.125115
ILS 3.982583
IMP 0.861135
INR 101.075885
IQD 1548.100603
IRR 49774.312762
ISK 142.19213
JEP 0.861135
JMD 189.80816
JOD 0.83779
JPY 168.693269
KES 152.743498
KGS 103.329173
KHR 4741.150956
KMF 495.084288
KPW 1063.52653
KRW 1598.898531
KWD 0.360479
KYD 0.98478
KZT 613.507277
LAK 25476.558156
LBP 105880.235544
LKR 354.603384
LRD 236.935513
LSL 20.776244
LTL 3.488917
LVL 0.714729
LYD 6.373296
MAD 10.606485
MDL 19.841673
MGA 5152.337503
MKD 61.535471
MMK 2480.415302
MNT 4234.949916
MOP 9.555258
MRU 46.904257
MUR 52.994174
MVR 18.182035
MWK 2049.098999
MXN 22.071767
MYR 4.959707
MZN 75.574784
NAD 20.776244
NGN 1813.77009
NIO 43.492492
NOK 11.847055
NPR 161.625585
NZD 1.932891
OMR 0.454311
PAB 1.181736
PEN 4.186465
PGK 4.87352
PHP 66.555143
PKR 335.328316
PLN 4.244431
PYG 9426.875128
QAR 4.296822
RON 5.073672
RSD 117.140119
RUB 92.69703
RWF 1697.627646
SAR 4.431254
SBD 9.850794
SCR 17.072049
SDG 709.541629
SEK 11.15764
SGD 1.501561
SHP 0.928541
SLE 26.52695
SLL 24777.273209
SOS 675.306372
SRD 44.025308
STD 24456.445823
SVC 10.340348
SYP 15362.938479
SZL 20.768741
THB 38.279252
TJS 11.669689
TMT 4.147367
TND 3.439379
TOP 2.767394
TRY 47.095425
TTD 7.99817
TWD 34.474004
TZS 3098.23911
UAH 49.451874
UGX 4248.196964
USD 1.181586
UYU 47.214417
UZS 15002.758708
VES 127.674941
VND 30874.84374
VUV 141.232975
WST 3.241675
XAF 656.254728
XAG 0.032458
XAU 0.000353
XCD 3.193295
XDR 0.822602
XOF 656.296405
XPF 119.331742
YER 286.239065
ZAR 20.773571
ZMK 10635.68957
ZMW 28.2128
ZWL 380.470229
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

'Rust' producers showed 'indifference' to gun safety: report
'Rust' producers showed 'indifference' to gun safety: report / Photo: Angela Weiss - AFP/File

'Rust' producers showed 'indifference' to gun safety: report

Producers of the movie "Rust" demonstrated "plain indifference" to firearms hazards and repeatedly violated industry safety protocols on the set where actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer, New Mexico health officials said Wednesday.

Text size:

Filmmakers behind the low-budget Western where tragedy struck last October were handed the maximum allowable fine over the safety breaches, following a report by the southwestern US state's environment department.

A separate and unrelated criminal investigation into how a Colt gun brandished by Baldwin during a rehearsal inside a church building discharged a live round, killing Halyna Hutchins, is still ongoing.

"Rust" producers "demonstrated plain indifference to the hazards associated with firearms by routinely failing to practice their own safety protocols, failing to enforce adherence to safety protocols," the environment department report said.

They failed "to ensure that the handling of deadly weapons was afforded the time and effort needed to keep the cast and crew safe," and ignored crew complaints over earlier instances when guns misfired on set, it said.

The set's safety coordinator "took no direct action to address safety concerns," while management "was provided multiple opportunities to take corrective actions and chose not to do so."

Hutchins died and director Joel Souza was severely injured "as a result of these failures," the report concluded.

The department's health and safety bureau -- which interviewed 14 people and reviewed more than 500 documents -- issued a "willful-serious citation" and a $136,793 civil penalty.

"This is the highest level of citation and maximum fine allowable by state law in New Mexico," said a statement.

The report listed breaches of several industry guidelines, including bringing live ammunition on set, pre-loading weapons, and leaving weapons unattended.

Other breaches it found included failing to hold safety meetings every day when firearms were being handled, and a lack of weapons-handling training for actors.

Actors pointed guns at the camera or at another person during "many camera shots" without consulting a weapons expert, the report said.

"Our investigation found that this tragic incident never would have happened if Rust Movie Productions, LLC had followed national film industry standards for firearm safety," said New Mexico environment cabinet secretary James Kenney.

"This is a complete failure of the employer to follow recognized national protocols that keep employees safe."

Neither Baldwin nor other "Rust" producers responded immediately to AFP requests for comment.

- 'Not me' -

Police have not yet filed criminal charges over the tragedy, and have refused to rule out charges against anyone involved, including Baldwin.

Hutchins' family has sued Baldwin and other "Rust" producers, claiming "substantial" damages for her wrongful death.

Other civil proceedings over the fatal shooting have been launched against producers by the movie's chief lighting technician and script supervisor.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the set's armorer in charge of weapons, has sued the film's ammunition supplier, accusing him of leaving real bullets among the dummy cartridges.

Baldwin, who was the star and a producer on "Rust," has said he was told the gun contained no live ammunition, had been instructed by Hutchins to point the gun in her direction, and did not pull the trigger.

"I feel that someone is responsible for what happened and I can't say who that is," Baldwin said in an interview in December.

"But I know it's not me."

V.Nemec--TPP