Alec Baldwin Rust movie crew colleague David Hallsâ is in the limelight now, after he is the one who handed over the fire arm to Alec before the fatal incident which killed the cinematographer and injured the director.
Davidâs role in the accident on the RUST set of a 19th-century Western last month has been under scrutiny after he told police he had failed to fully check the firearm before the fatal incident.
In a statement on Monday, Halls said he is âshocked and saddenedâ by the death of Halyna Hutchins, but did not directly address the shooting or his role.
âHalyna Hutchins was not just one of the most talented people Iâve worked with, but also a friend,â wrote David Halls.
âItâs 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,â he added.
Shocked and Sad says David Halls about the fatal Alec Baldwin fatal Shoot out
The crew member who handed Alec Baldwin the loaded gun that killed a cinematographer on the set of âRustâ expressed his shock and sadness Monday, in his first public comments since the tragedy.
Along with armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, first assistant director Halls was responsible for handling and checking weapons on set, and announcing âcold gunâ â industry lingo for an inert firearm.
According to a search warrant, he told detectives he âshould have checkedâ that all the rounds in the Colt .45 gun were dummy, or inert, rounds, âbut didnât.â
Alec Baldwin fatal shooting incident, David Halls reveals shocking views
A live round fired by Baldwin during rehearsal passed through Halyna Hutchinsâ body and struck director Joel Souza in the shoulder. Hutchins later died of her injury.
Nearly 100,000 people have since signed a petition to permanently remove firearms from sets, noting that effects such as the loud bang and muzzle flash can easily be added to fake rubber guns in post-production.
In his statement, Halls also said he had been âoverwhelmed by the love and support,â and wrote, âMy thoughts are with all who knew and loved Halyna.â
His statement came two days after Baldwinâs own first public comments on the incident, in which he told reporters that the tragedy was a âone in a trillion episode.â
The US actor said he had been advised not to speak directly about the shooting due to the ongoing police investigation.
Prosecutors have refused to rule out criminal charges over the deadly shooting.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said live rounds âshouldnât have beenâ present, and said it appeared âthere was some complacency on this set.â
âI check the barrel for obstructions, most of the time thereâs no live fire, [Hannah] opens the hatch and spins the drum, and I say cold gun on set,â Halls said, according to the document.
Halls said that he only recalled seeing three rounds in the chamber ahead of passing the gun over to Baldwin.