Shannon Leewants mandatory gun safety training on any film set that handles firearms.
After theRuston-set tragedy in which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when actor Alec Baldwin fired areal lead bulletfrom a prop gun, the sister of late actor Brandon Lee is sharing her point of view. Brandon died at age 28in a similar accident in March 1993on the set of his filmThe Crow.
“I think that mandatory gun safety training [should be required] for the actor so that they can check the guns themselves and know how to use them appropriately, and so that they can keep others safe,“Shannon, 52, told AFP, calling gun safety measures that are in place right now “frustrating.”
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Shannon said she never spoke to the man who fired the fatal shot in her brother’s case, Michael Massee, before he died in 2016, adding that she hopes Baldwin, 66, takes care of himself in the difficult aftermath.
“I felt really sorry because it is a horrible thing to cause someone else to die. And I also feel sorry for Alec Baldwin,” she said. “It’sreally tough what he’s going through. He has to take care of himself.”
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Last month, Brandon’s fiancée Eliza Hutton came forward for the first time since he died,telling PEOPLE that the recent accidenton the New Mexico set ofRustis yet another “avoidable tragedy.”
“I urge those in positions to make change to consider alternatives to real guns on sets,” she added.
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Baldwinhas been in contact with Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins, and 9-year-old son Andros since the tragedy, and had breakfast with them two days after the shooting. The former30 Rockstar told paparazzi last week that Hutchins was his “friend,” adding that he and wife Hilaria Baldwin have been “very worried” about Matthew and Andros.
The shooting happened on Oct. 21. During a rehearsal, assistant directorDavid Hallsunknowingly handed Alec a gun that had been loaded with real bullets. Thinking it was only loaded with blanks, Halls shouted “cold gun” to indicate it was safe to use, according to a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Officesearch warrant affidavit.
Neither Halls nor Baldwin knew that the gun had live ammunition in it, according to the affidavit.
The investigation remains ongoing, withproduction on the film halted. No charges have been filed, though authorities have said that “all options are on the table at this point” and “no one has beenruled out” as they search for answers as to what led to the fatal shooting.
source: people.com
