After the fatal accident while shooting the film “Rust” with Alec Baldwin, the assistant director and his past are now in focus.
Santa Fe – The investigation into the fatal shot by Alec Baldwin on camerawoman Haylana Hutchins while filming the western film “Rust” is ongoing. The focus is on gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director Dave Halls. A production company has now made new allegations against Halls. He was therefore released earlier from the production of the film “Freedom’s Path” due to an accident with a firearm, reported the company Rocket Soul Studios in the USA to the television station CNN on Monday (25.10.2021).
Rust: Assistant director fired after gun accident in 2019
When filming in 2019, a weapon “discharged unexpectedly”. A member of the sound crew was injured and then treated by a paramedic on the set. According to the production company, the injured person was able to return to filming a few days later. The assistant director Dave Halls was released on the day of the accident, reports CNN.
Dave Halls is said to have regretted the events and also showed understanding for the dismissal, CNN quoted from a statement by the production company Rocket Soul Studios. The assistant director was not available to inquire about the allegations of the production company, reports CNN.
Rust: Further allegations against assistant directors after a fatal shot by Alec Baldwin
There are also other allegations against Dave Halls. Even when filming the television series “Into the Dark”, the assistant director is said to have not complied with safety rules when handling weapons and pyrotechnics. This is what prop master and pyrotechnician Maggie Goll reported to the British Guardian, who worked with Halls on filming the series. She accuses him of neglecting his security duties. Halls did not comment on these allegations either.
Dave Halls is under investigation for giving Alec Baldwin the gun. According to the police report, Halls pointed out that it was a “cold gun”, meaning that it did not contain live ammunition. According to the police, Halls also did not know that there was live ammunition in the gun.
From fatal shot by Alec Baldwin: Security complaints during the Rust shoot
During the shooting of the film “Rust”, there were also complaints about inadequate safety precautions and poor working conditions. According to the Los Angeles Times, several employees had left the set in protest. Baldwin’s stunt double had accidentally shot twice with a gun a few days before the fatal shot by Alec Baldwin. He was also told that it was a “cold gun”. (Max Schäfer)
