Crew Member Who Handed Baldwin Loaded Gun Breaks Silence

The crew member who handed Alec Baldwin the loaded gun responsible for the death and injuries on the set of Rust has spoken for the first time since the incident.

David Halls had admitted to failing to check the firearm before the fatal accident fully. He had handed what was assumed to be a prop gun to Baldwin during a scene shoot. However, when fired, the gun’s discharge had killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. 

In a statement to the New York Post on Monday, Halls said he is “shocked and saddened” by the death of Hutchins. However, he failed to address the shooting and his role in it directly. 

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

“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,” he added. 

Halls was responsible for checking weapons on set and announcing “Cold Gun,” the industry lingo for an inert firearm. The search warrant reveals that he had failed to check that the rounds in the Colt .45 gun were dummy or inert “but didn’t.”

Hutchins death is just one of the many Hollywood set deaths caused by accidentally firing loaded guns.

Most famously, Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, died during the filming of “The Crow” after being shot by a gun that was supposed to fire blanks.

Recently reacting to the incident Shannon Lee, sister to Brandon Lee, called for mandatory gun safety training for actors. She notes that she finds the current gun safety situation “frustrating,” referencing the Baldwin tragic accident. 

“It shouldn’t happen again,” she said. “I felt really sorry because it is a horrible thing to cause someone else to die.”

Speaking to AFP at the Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles, Lee said, “I think mandatory gun safety training should be required for the actor so that they can check the gun themselves and know how to use them appropriately.”