New court papers filed by prosecutors in Alec Baldwin's case regarding the discharge of a firearm on the set of the film "Rust" are accusing the actor of engaging in reckless behavior with firearms on the set. The 2021 shooting resulted in the death of the film's director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and the injury of the film's director, Joel Souza.

Previously on RedState: 'Rust' Armorer Sentenced to 18 Months; Does Not Bode Well For Alec Baldwin 

Alec Baldwin's Motion to Dismiss Denied; Trial Set in Accidental Shooting Case

Alec Baldwin once fired a blank round at a crew member on the set of “Rust,” prosecutors alleged in new court papers, as they accused the actor of being reckless with firearms while filming.

Prosecutors in the New Mexico involuntary manslaughter case against the “30 Rock” star said they plan to bring evidence at his trial — slated to begin on July 9 — showing that Baldwin had a history of flouting safety protocols on set, which led to Halyna Hutchins’ tragic shooting death in 2021.

One such reckless moment came when Baldwin, 66, pointed his gun and fired “a blank round at a crew member” while he held the person target in his line of sight, prosecutors alleged in the Monday filing.

The firing of a blank round at a crew member, which sure looks to be deliberate, is especially egregious. Those not familiar with firearms may not realize it, but a blank round, while not discharging a projectile, does put out a blast of hot gases on firing. Some guns have blank adapters or are modified to only allow blanks, and may not produce as much of a flash, but the guns the "Rust" set had on hand appear to be original and intact, as not only was the shot that killed Halyna Hutchins fired from one of them, but the cast was also reported to have been shooting live rounds from the prop guns. The gun used in the fatal shooting was a Pietta copy of the Colt Single Action Army, and from photos of the gun, it appears unmodified.

In firing a blank at a crew member, Baldwin demonstrated a callous disregard for the safety of that crew member in addition to a sad lack of knowledge of safe gun handling.

This was, apparently, not the only example of reckless behavior on Baldwin's part, according to the NY Post story (linked above):

Other examples of Baldwin ignoring safety procedures between Oct. 12, 2021 up until the day of the shooting included him using his gun as a pointer; firing the weapon after filming was over in violation of safety rules; holding his finger on the trigger in scenes that didn’t require it; rushing armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to reload his gun faster; and being on FaceTime with his family and making videos for them during firearms training, the court papers claimed.

And before filming even started Baldwin — one of the producers and the leading actor in the movie — “asked to be assigned the ‘biggest’ gun available,” the filing alleged.

For an actor who is a vocal proponent of gun control laws, Alec Baldwin appears to be everything he accuses careful and responsible gun owners of being - careless, reckless, incautious, unaware of the rules of safe gun handling, and exhibiting a callous disregard for the safety of everyone around him. We won't even go into his demand for the "biggest gun available" and what that demand might signify.

While Baldwin has yet to stand trial, what we do know is this: The gun was in his hands. He pulled the trigger. He disregarded every rule of safe gun handling, and someone is dead because of that. He is responsible. We can hope that a jury agrees.