NOVEMBER 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 13
BALDWIN SHOOTING
GUN REFORMS URGED
BY JILL SERJEANT, REUTERS
The fatal shooting accident on the set of an
Alec Baldwin movie has prompted calls
for a ban on the use of real guns in TV
shows and movies, with two producers
already saying they will stop the practice.
Booksmart fi lm director Olivia Wilde
called on Hollywood to implement what
she called “Halyna›s Law,” and a petition
urging Baldwin, an Amagansett resident,
to take the lead in a campaign to
ban the use of real fi rearms had attracted
more than 27,000 votes by Oct. 25.
The campaign was prompted by the
death of cinematographer Halyna
Hutchins and the wounding of director
Joel Souza on the set of the Western indie
movie Rust at Bonanza Creek ranch
in Santa Fe on Oct. 21.
The two were hit when a revolver containing
live rounds that was being used
by Baldwin in a rehearsal discharged.
Baldwin had been told the gun was not
loaded, according to authorities.
California state Sen. Dave Cortese said
he would introduce legislation intended
to ban live ammunition and fi rearms
capable of fi ring live ammunition from
movie and TV sets in the state.
“Those working behind the scenes to entertain
and bring joy to millions all over
the world shouldn’t go to set worrying
if they will return home safely to their
family,” Cortese said in a statement.
Any eventual law would not apply to
productions in other U.S. states or abroad.
The Walt Disney Company, Warner
Bros., Netfl ix, and NBC television did
not respond on Oct. 25 to requests for
comment on their gun policies going
forward.
The tragedy has raised questions about
safety on the set. Souza and cameraman
Reid Russel told the Santa Fe Sheriff ›s
Department that six camera operators
had walked out earlier in the day, according
to court documents.
No one has been charged and police
are still investigating how the prop
gun came to be loaded with live rounds.
Prop guns are oft en real guns that are
used on sets for the realistic visual
eff ect of the fl ash and recoil aft er an
actor pulls the trigger. They usually
contain blank cartridges, which lack a
bullet but use gunpowder and can be
fatal at close range.
“Hollywood: It’s time to create ‹Halyna›s
Law,› which will ban the use of real
fi rearms on fi lm production sets and
create a safe working environment for
everyone involved,” Wilde tweeted on
Sunday.
She urged people to sign a Change.org
petition started by independent U.S.
fi lmmaker Bandar Albuliwi aft er the
accident.
“Real guns are no longer needed on
fi lm production sets,” Albuliwi wrote.
“Please sign this petition and demand
for Alec Baldwin to use his power and
infl uence in the Hollywood fi lm industry
to make change and ban real guns
on fi lm sets.”
Baldwin on Monday declined to comment
on the petition.
The producers of the ABC police television
series The Rookie last month were
among the fi rst to announce that there
would be no more “live” weapons on the
show and that air guns and computer-generated
eff ects would be used instead.
Eric Kripke, the executive producer of
Amazon›s satirical superhero TV series
The Boys, tweeted “no more guns with
blanks on any of my sets ever. We›ll use
VFX muzzle fl ashes. Who›s with me?”
IN THE NEWS
Actor Alec Baldwin leaves court in New York on Jan. 23, 2019. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo)
“Real guns are no
longer needed on film
production sets,”
Bandar Albuliwi said.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/Change.org
