The assistant director who handed the weapon to actor Alec Baldwin, which resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for a scene in "Rust," has broken his silence. On Monday, he spoke for the first time since the tragedy, expressing that he is "shocked and saddened."
There has been much speculation regarding David Halls's role in the incident that occurred on October 21 in New Mexico, especially after he told investigators he should have checked the gun but did not. Halls stated in a statement published by the New York Post that he is "shocked and saddened" after the killing of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, but he did not elaborate on how the incident occurred or on his role in it.
In his statement, he wrote, "Halyna Hutchins was not only one of the most talented people I worked with, but she was also a friend." He added, "I hope this tragedy will prompt the film industry to reevaluate its values and practices" to prevent such tragedies from happening again, according to Agence France-Presse.
David Halls was responsible for the firearms during the filming of "Rust" alongside armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and he was supposed to ensure that the weapon was devoid of any live ammunition before it was brought onto the set. Police reports indicate that the assistant director admitted he should have verified that all the bullets in the gun used by Alec Baldwin for the rehearsal were fake, but he acknowledged that he did not do so.
A live round fired by Baldwin accidentally struck cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, resulting in her death, and it continued its trajectory to lodge in the shoulder of director Joel Souza. NBC reported that a crew member resigned the day before the incident, expressing concerns about safety conditions on set. According to the station, Lane Luber pointed out in an email accompanying his resignation that "two stray rounds had already been fired from weapons, and a planned explosion as part of the special effects occurred near the crew between filming intervals," adding, "To be clear, safety is not available these days."
A petition calling for a ban on real firearms on film sets has garnered over 100,000 signatures as of Monday. The petitioners emphasized that it is easy to add visual and sound effects to prop weapons after filming is completed.
Baldwin himself spoke for the first time about the incident last weekend, stating that "accidents sometimes happen on film sets, but not of this nature. The risk of something like this occurring is one in a trillion," noting that he cannot discuss the facts while the investigation is ongoing.
No arrest warrants have been issued yet, but the district attorney in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who is overseeing the investigation, has not ruled out criminal charges if responsibility is determined.
