Dawn Images

Police officers be stationed on all film productions where guns are being used, Alec Baldwin suggested on Monday, weeks after he fatally shot a crew member in a tragic on-set accident in New Mexico.

The US actor and producer fired a Colt .45 he had been told was safe on the set of Rust striking and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. “Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapons safety,” Baldwin tweeted.

A police investigation into the tragic incident is in progress, with prosecutors refusing to rule out criminal charges against anyone, including Baldwin.

Ahead of a rehearsal involving a shooting scene, Baldwin had been handed a firearm and told it was a “cold gun” — industry speak for a prop that was deemed cleared and safe to use.

Baldwin has described the “incidental accident” as a “one in a trillion episode”. Calls have grown since the incident for better control of weapons on Hollywood sets, and Baldwin previously said the effort was “something I am extremely interested in”.

Originally published in Dawn, November 9th, 2021