In charge of checking the weapons in the movie “Rust”, where a person died, he says he is in shock and sad

The man who handed actor Alec Baldwin the loaded gun that killed a cinematographer on the set of the western “Rust” expressed shock and sadness on Monday in his first public comments since the tragedy that mourned Hollywood.

David Halls, assistant director of “Rust,” has been in the eye of the storm since admitting in police questioning that he had not fully checked the gun he handed to Baldwin prior to the incident that killed Halyna Hutchins. on a film set in New Mexico.

In a letter sent to the New York Post on Monday, Halls acknowledged being “shocked and saddened” by the death of Hutchins, but did not refer directly to the shooting or his participation in the chain of events.

“Halyna Hutchins was not only one of the most talented people I have ever worked with, but she was also a friend,” Halls wrote.

“I hope that this tragedy will lead the industry to reassess its values ​​and practices to ensure that no one is hurt during the creative process,” he added.

Along with gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Halls was responsible for handling and checking guns on set, and for announcing when a gun was “cold,” the lingo in the theater for warning that a gun is unloaded.

Halls told detectives that he “should have checked” that all the bullets in the Colt .45 revolver were fake. “But I didn’t,” he acknowledged, according to information included in the search warrants that authorities used to enter the Bonanza Creek Ranch, the location where the incident occurred.

A bullet fired by Baldwin during rehearsal went through Halyna Hutchins’ body and hit the film’s director, Joel Souza, in the shoulder. Hutchins, 42, died of the injury.

Some 100,000 people have signed a petition for firearms to be permanently removed from sets, noting that effects such as loud sound or flashing can easily be added to post-production plastic weapons.

Halls also said he is “overwhelmed with love and support.” “My feelings go out to everyone who knew and loved Halyna,” he wrote.

AFP asked his lawyer for a comment, but did not respond immediately.

Their statement comes two days after the first comments were made by Baldwin, 63, who told reporters that the tragedy was “an episode of one in a billion.”

The American actor said he was advised not to speak about the shooting because the investigation is ongoing.

The prosecution has not ruled out filing charges for the shooting.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the live bullets “shouldn’t be” at the shooting location. “There was some complacency on this set,” he opined.