A gun master and an assistant director are in focus after Alec Baldwin’s fatal shot. The assistant director is said to have disregarded safety precautions earlier.
Santa Fe, New Mexico – After actor Alec Baldwin * was fatally shot at camerawoman Halyana Hutchins while shooting the western film “Rust”, the investigation focused on the gun master and the assistant director. The weapons master was responsible for the weapon from which the fatal shot was fired and two other weapons, reports media in the USA *, citing a police report.
The gun specialist is said to have placed the three guns on a cart outside the rotating building, reports the Guardian, citing the report. Assistant director Dave Halls had taken one of the guns and gave it to Alec Baldwin * with the note that it was a “cold gun”, meaning that it did not contain live ammunition. According to the police report, Halls did not know that the gun was loaded with live ammunition.
Assistant director, who gave Alec Baldwin the gun, is said to have previously ignored security issues
Dave Halls has been the focus of complaints about inadequate security before. The assistant director had previously failed to comply with safety precautions when handling weapons and pyrotechnics, reports prop master and licensed pyrotechnician Magge Goll, who worked with Halls on filming “Into the Dark” in 2019. As the first assistant director, Halls was also responsible for the work on the set and the tight schedule.
Halls had therefore neglected his task of announcing when a firearm was on the set. Halls also released the actor after the shooting ended without asking them to return the props, including firearms. A crew member took over these tasks, reports the Guardian.
The assistant director, who gave Baldwin the gun, is the focus: Earlier complaints about safety precautions
There were times when she and the crew did not feel safe, says Magge Goll. “There’s no reason to ignore gun safety on set, even if it was a non-firing prop weapon,” Goll wrote in an email to the Guardian.
Maggie Goll complained internally to the executive producers of Blumhouse Productions, the production company of “Into the Dark”. Dave Halls worked on two films for the company in 2019 and was not reinstated afterwards. All complaints received by the studio regarding security issues were dealt with immediately, a spokesman for the production company told the Guardian.
After a fatal shot by Alec Baldwin: Greater discussion about safety during filming required
However, it is not about Dave Halls. It is by no means a person’s fault, explains Magge Goll. Hollywood star Alec Baldwin’s fatal shot and previous experiences point to greater security issues that need to be addressed, Goll said. The safety and well-being of the film crews are important issues. Instead, she wants a big discussion about filming safety. (Max Schäfer) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Title list image: © Eddie Moore / Imago
