'Rust' Assistant Director Testifies About Fatal Set Shooting Negligence
Assistant director David Halls testified in court that the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, twice handed a revolver to Alec Baldwin, first emptied of bullets and then loaded with dummy rounds and a live round, contradicting earlier accounts. Halls admitted negligence in checking the gun properly and described the moment of the shooting, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally wounded. Prosecutors are reconstructing the chain of events and custody of ammunition that led to the shooting, with Gutierrez-Reed facing charges of manslaughter and evidence tampering. Defense attorneys argue that problems on the set were beyond Gutierrez-Reed's control, while prosecutors blame her for bringing live ammunition on set and treating safety protocols as optional.