All you need is a pair of pliers

Damion M. Mosher, who put bullets [loaded rounds] in a vise and whacked them with a hammer to empty the brass shell casings, was hit in the abdomen by one of the shots, authorities said.
...
Mosher, 18, told authorities he was trying to empty the .223-caliber rounds to collect the brass casings for scrap.

CNN

Was he hit with the bullet part, or the brass part?

I've unloaded bullets. There is a purpose built device called a bullet puller that works by pinning the round in a holder and then slamming the device down on a hard surface like a hammer. The bullet (lead part) is then separated from the brass part of the round and held inside the device.

I remember having to talk a kid out of hitting a .22 round with a hammer just to "see what happens" when I was in Middle School. I may have saved a life. .22 are crazy. They go all over the place if you aren't careful. Even when properly fired, they can be unpredictable. It depends on the ammo.