If the stories that have described what happened are accurate, Baldwin was potentially negligent in several ways.
First and foremost, on a movie set, you don't ever, ever, point a gun, whether it's loaded or not loaded, real or what you think is only a prop, in the direction of another person. Reportedly in this case he pointed the gun at three people. Doesn't matter if he thought the gun was not loaded, you never, ever point any kind of a firearm at another person. If the gun has to be pointed directly at the camera, the set can be cleared and the camera operated by remote. Clearly, Baldwin pointed the gun at other people.
Secondly, on set, unless you are actually doing the take, you don't put your finger on the trigger and pull it. Again, doesn't matter if you think it's not loaded, the finger stays off the trigger until the moment the scene is being shot. In this case, Baldwin was supposedly practicing a cross draw and pointing the gun towards the camera, where there were three people. His finger should never have been on the trigger and it should never have been pulled.
Thirdly, given the historical period being portrayed, it's almost certain that the firearm being used was a single action revolver. This means that you can't just pull the trigger to make it fire. Instead, you have to cock the hammer each time you want to shoot the gun. Again, you never point a gun at another person and you don't cock the hammer until you are ready to shoot the scene. Cocking and decocking the hammer is an act that increases the potential for accidental discharges to occur, sometimes due to sweaty hands, etc, which cause the hammer to slip from the thumb and then fall on a loaded chamber, causing the firearm to discharge. Because of that potential, it should be hammered home (excuse the pun) to any talent handling the firearm that you don't cock and decock the hammer repeatedly. If it's cocked for the scene and you don't end up pulling the trigger, hand it to the armorer for decocking. In this case, Baldwin was allegedly practicing a cross draw but also had to have both drawn the gun, cocked the hammer, pointed it at the other people by the camera and pulled the trigger.
Those are three distinct acts, any of which could be considered negligent and cumulatively result in a major part of the blame falling on Baldwins shoulders, for this tragic event.
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