Alec Baldwin has stayed relatively mum since he accidentally killed director of photography Halyna Hutchins on the set of his movie “Rust.” But on Wednesday, he retweeted a story apparently trying to shift blame off of himself.
The story was published in The New York Times and was titled, “Gun Handed to Alec Baldwin Was Not Thoroughly Checked, Affidavit Says.”
“Before he handed a revolver that he had declared ‘cold’ to Alec Baldwin on the set of the film ‘Rust,’ Dave Halls, an assistant director, told a detective he should have inspected each round in each chamber, according to an affidavit. But he did not,” the tweet’s caption read.
Before he handed a revolver that he had declared “cold” to Alec Baldwin on the set of the film “Rust,” Dave Halls, an assistant director, told a detective he should have inspected each round in each chamber, according to an affidavit. But he did not. https://t.co/flCONhaEqO
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 27, 2021
Baldwin retweeted the above tweet to his foundation’s account on Wednesday evening in an apparent signal that he agreed with its content, the New York Post reported.
It is absolutely fair to say multiple people from the movie bear some responsibility for last week’s accident. In the article, the Times details shortcomings from both Halls and the movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
The paper reported Halls was previously fired from the 2019 movie “Freedom’s Path” after another accidental discharge of a firearm.
Meanwhile, Gutierrez-Reed said on a podcast in September that she had just completed her first head armorer job with a different Western movie called “The Old Way.”
“I was really nervous about it at first, and I almost didn’t take the job because I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but doing it, it went really smoothly,” she said.
According to The Wrap, other accounts of Gutierrez-Reed’s job during that movie were not rosy. Nicolas Cage, who starred in the film, allegedly stormed off set after she “put the cast and crew in several unnecessary and dangerous situations.”
All that to say, more people than just Baldwin most likely played a role in creating unsafe conditions on the set of “Rust.”
Even so, Baldwin bears some responsibility too. Basic gun safety rules tell the user to treat all guns as if they are loaded and to never point them at anyone they are not intending to shoot, and Baldwin ignored both.
In addition, it is not a good look for Baldwin to retweet stories aimed at shifting the blame onto other crew members. If he wants to express remorse, that begins with taking some responsibility.
Even before this development, many people were having trouble feeling sympathy for Baldwin because of his previous actions.
In 2018, Baldwin joined the No Rifle Association, a group of celebrities who banded together in favor of gun control. That group decided to demonize NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and suggest he was a murderer because of what other people did with guns.
“We’re going to shine a bright light on what you and your organization do to America,” the group wrote in a letter, according to Deadline.
“We’re going to make sure the whole world sees your bloody hands. We’re coming for your money. We’re coming for your puppets.”
This harsh and undeserved criticism has caused some people to hesitate in giving Baldwin grace now that he is in his own precarious situation.
An investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and it is unclear whether Baldwin will face any criminal charges. But in the court of public opinion, his best path to victory probably does not involve blaming other people.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
