Safety First

 

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us of the simple rules in life. 

Recently there was an accident on the set of the movie Rust, involving Alec Baldwin. He accidentally fired a prop gun that he was told was a “cold gun” (code for safe) killing one person and injuring a second.

How could this tragedy have been prevented? 

Sure, there are rumors of protocols being broken. And it’s fair to question why live rounds are even needed on a movie set. But I’ll say the responsibility lies on one person;

Alec Baldwin. He broke the most basic safety rule of firearms 

Rule Number One:

TREAT EVERY WEAPON AS IF IT IS LOADED

It doesn’t matter if it’s a toy gun, prop gun, decorative gun, flare gun, squirt gun, hand gun, or long gun…

Treat every gun as if it was a loaded weapon. 

If Alec would have taken this advice, none of the negligence that preceded the incident would matter. He broke every rule of firearm safety. 

Before I ever learned how to shoot a gun, I was taught how to identify what type of action a gun has and determine if it is loaded 

This is the most basic knowledge that anyone who is around firearms should know. 

When I was in high school I lost two friends in a single gun related accident. A handgun was passed around at a party (bad start already). The owner removed the clip and handed the gun off. My friend handled the gun in an unsafe manner. He assumed the gun was unloaded because he saw the clip removed. He didn’t follow any of the four rules. He put his finger on the trigger and didn’t realize there was a bullet loaded in the chamber. The gun went off and instantly killed another friend standing across the circle. Everyone ran from the house and my friend decided he couldn’t live with his mistake, reloaded the clip and ended his life. Two 17 year old kids gone because of negligence. 

Please heed this message. Be safe at all times when handling a firearm.