‘Rust’ First Assistant Director David Halls Tells Jury About His Negligence On Day Of Fatal Shooting, Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s “Not Acceptable” Conduct

deadline.com:

The man who handed Alec Baldwin the gun that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins more than two years ago broke down on the witness stand Thursday describing what happened that October 2021 day on the set of the indie Western.

Veteran first assistant director David Halls also admitted during his testimony this afternoon that he was “negligent” in not checking the firearm properly after armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed in the moments before the shooting. “It’s important to me that the truth be known, that that Halyna’s husband and son, her family know the truth of what happened,” Halls told the jury in the Santa Fe courthouse as Gutierrez-Reed sat just a few feet away. “It’s important that the cast and the crew, producers of Rust know what happened,” he added with his voice breaking frequently under questions from Special Prosecutor Kerri Morrissey. “And it’s important that that industry, the motion picture and television industry knows what happened, so this never happens again.” Covered by a plea deal that secured him six months’ probation last year, the now-retired Halls has always said he did not know how live rounds got into the Colt .45 revolver held by Baldwin that fired during rehearsal.

Once again facing involuntary manslaughter charges and set for his own trial to start in July, Baldwin has always insisted he never pulled the trigger on the gun that fired and killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

The FBI and independent firearms experts say it was nearly impossible for the weapon to fire without the trigger being pulled.