‘Rust’ Assistant Director David Halls not responsible for checking gun, lawyer claims

The assistant director who allegedly handed Alec Baldwin the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins was not responsible for checking the weapon, his lawyer claims.

A lawyer for the Rust assistant director who allegedly handed the revolver to Alec Baldwin in the deadly on-set shooting says it wasn’t her client’s responsibility to confirm the gun was unloaded – even though he has told police he should have checked all the rounds.

Attorney Lisa Torraco also insisted in her interview on Fox News Monday that David Halls did not handle the gun the day Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

“This idea my client grabbed the gun and handed it to Baldwin absolutely did not happen,” Ms Torraco said before backtracking and dodging questions about whether the assistant director did hand the gun to Baldwin.

“The armorer brought the weapon in,” she said, referring to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was working on only her second film in that capacity. “The armorer opens the firearm… [Halls] didn’t load it.”

Torraco told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on “The Story” that Halls was not responsible for making sure the .45-caliber Colt was a “cold gun,” a production term that means the weapon doesn’t contain live rounds and is safe for use.

“That’s not the assistant director’s job. If he chooses to check the firearm because he wants to make sure that everyone’s safe, he can do that, but that’s not his responsibility,” she said.

Rust assistant director Dave Halls on set. Picture: Supplied / Twitter

Earlier, Mr Halls called on the movie industry to “re-evaluate its values” in the wake of the fatal incident.

However, he did not address details of the incident itself — or respond to previous reports that he was the one who handed the gun used in the deadly shooting to actor Alec Baldwin.

“Halyna Hutchins was not just one of the most talented people I’ve worked with, but also a friend,” Mr Halls said in a statement.

“I’m shocked and saddened by her death,” he said. “It’s my hope that this tragedy prompts the industry to re-evaluate its values and practices to ensure no one is harmed through the creative process again.”

Mr Halls added that he’s been “overwhelmed by the love and support,” and said, “my thoughts are with all who knew and loved Halyna.”

The 21 October shooting on the New Mexico movie set killed Hutchins, a 42-year-old mother, and wounded the film’s director, Joel Souza, 48.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said last week investigators were still trying to determine how live rounds got on the set.

First Judicial District lawyer Mary Carmack-Altwies for New Mexico (R) looks on as Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza speaks during a press conference. Picture: Getty Images

According to search warrants released by authorities in Santa Fe last month, three people handled the gun before the shooting: Baldwin, Mr Halls, and 24-year-old armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was working on only her second film in that capacity.

Mr Souza told police that safety protocols call for the armourer to hand the weapon to the assistant director, who is supposed to check to ensure there are no live rounds in the weapon before handing it to the actor.

Dave Halls. Picture: IMDB

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Picture: Facebook

Mr Halls told police he couldn’t recall how thoroughly he checked the weapon.

“David advised when Hannah showed him the firearm before continuing rehearsal, he could only remember seeing three rounds,” he told detectives, according to an affidavit filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

“He advised he should have checked all of them, but didn’t, and couldn’t recall if she spun the drum,” the assistant director allegedly told cops.

Still, an insider told The Post that two staffers on set told investigators they never saw Mr Halls remove the gun from the armorer’s cart during an investigation into the incident.

The witnesses also denied that Mr Halls had called the gun “cold” before giving it to Baldwin, according to the source.

Halyna Hutchins with a friend. Picture: Supplied

According to the affidavits, the gun was one of three on the armorer’s cart before it was handed to the 63-year-old actor, who was rehearsing a scene where he pointed the gun at the camera inside a church on the set.

Ms Gutierrez told police she “checked the ‘dummies’ and ensured they were not ‘hot rounds,’” the affidavits said.

The young armorer’s lawyers said last week she had no idea how live rounds got onto the set and complained that she was understaffed and undertrained — and was ignored when she made safety suggestions.

No charges have been filed in the shooting and the investigation continues.

– With the New York Post

Originally published as ‘Rust’ Assistant Director David Halls not responsible for checking gun, lawyer claims