The Internet Is Seeing Red Over Alec Baldwin. Here's Why
"So, I guess I'm gonna take this out, pull it, and go, 'Bang!'" This is what actor Alec Baldwin said on set shortly before director Joel Souza was injured and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October on the set of the movie "Rust" (per The Independent). The gun was supposed to be loaded with dummy rounds and not live ammunition, and it discharged accidentally while actor Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing the gun for the scene (from BBC).
In his first formal media interview since the tragic incident, Baldwin told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never," And he also said that "Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property."
Baldwin saying he didn't pull the trigger has, well, triggered some. One person tweeted "Huh? Guns don't just 'fire' and while some require very little trigger pressure, trigger pressure is still required..."
Another wrote "Will someone tell Alec Baldwin he is/was the only one who pulled the trigger?!"
But there's a flip side of the trigger debate. "After reading reviews of the gun (a Colt repro) by owners alarmed at unintended misfires, I tend to believe him," one user tweeted.
Some blame Alec Baldwin for what happened; others see him as innocent
They weren't the only one who believed Baldwin was telling the truth. One person tweeted "Looks like Baldwin is saying a mechanical problem with the firearm. That's extremely rare... but it can occur. It would indicate that the firearm was not properly maintained; perhaps the safety (assuming it was engaged) was cracked or otherwise defective."
Some see it as just a dodge. "The new shooting defense. I didn't pull the trigger you better be rich if you're going to get away with that defense," one tweeted.
Others don't blame Baldwin. One tweeted, "I don't understand how everyone thinks this is his fault. If I was handed a gun I would have absolutely no idea how to check it! There are supposed to be gun experts on movie sets who are paid clear safety and be on standby! Alec just trusted other people to do their jobs".
Others are focused on how much Baldwin is hurting in the aftermath of what happened. One person tweeted, "I feel for him. This has obviously aged him, and he appears tortured. Like him or hate him personally, but this is a tragedy beyond words."