Shivangi Sinha
After the untimely loss of Halyna Hutchins in October 2021, the investigation quickly identified three key individuals connected to the incident. One of them was David Halls, the first assistant director on the set of the Western film ‘Rust.’ As someone responsible for on-set safety and operations, his role came under intense scrutiny. In Hulu’s ‘Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna,’ Halls opened up about the events leading up to the tragedy and provided insight into what transpired and the factors that contributed to it.
David Halls Was Held Accountable as Security Co-ordinator on the Sets of Rust
David Halls had built a solid career in the film industry, consistently landing good projects. When he was offered the role of First Assistant Director on the Western film, ‘Rust,’ it seemed like another great opportunity. Despite the filming taking place in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he was excited to be involved. The presence of renowned actor Alec Baldwin as both a lead and a producer, along with the thrill of working on a Western, made the project particularly appealing. From the start, Halls was aware that the film had a tight budget, but he didn’t see it as unusual. Instead, he viewed it as part of the adventure and embraced the challenge that came with making a film under such constraints.
Halls admitted that he was aware of some of the alleged issues on set, including the fact that Lane Luper, the first assistant camera, had resigned. However, he stated that no significant attention was given to it, and production continued as usual the following day, on October 21, 2021. The main challenge that arose was the reduced camera crew, which meant that cinematographer Halyna and the film’s writer-director, Joel Souza, had to position themselves directly behind the camera and in front of Baldwin while filming the shooting scene.
Halls recalled that he was only a short distance away when he heard the loud gunshot, and he immediately sensed that something had gone wrong. When he turned, he saw Halyna and Joel injured, and like everyone else on set, he scrambled to get emergency assistance. According to Halls, the crew initially believed that everything would be fine, and they only learned about Halyna’s passing through news reports. He remembered being in complete disbelief over what had happened. As the police launched their investigation, they identified three key individuals: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer; Alec Baldwin, the actor who fired the shot; and Halls himself, who was responsible for supervising Hannah’s work and served as the safety coordinator on set.
David Halls Has Been Instrumental in Bringing Justice to Halyna Hutchins and Her Family
David Halls faced charges of negligent use of a deadly weapon in connection with the fatal shooting on the film set in October 2021. His attorney stated that he was deeply traumatized by the incident and burdened with guilt over what he could have done differently. His legal team argued that, as the safety coordinator, his primary responsibility was to ensure safety meetings were conducted, not to oversee firearm handling on set. However, prosecutors contended that he should have personally checked whether any live rounds were present in the gun. Ultimately, Halls entered into a plea agreement and pled no contest to a misdemeanor charge. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service, and a mandatory fire safety course to be completed within 60 days.
Additionally, he was required to testify in all hearings related to the shooting and was prohibited from contacting co-defendants or witnesses. He also claimed it was Hannah Gutierrez-Reed who had handed the gun to Alec Baldwin and not him before the incident. In February 2024, during the trial of Hannah, Halls took the stand and became emotional while giving his testimony. He admitted that he had been “negligent” and acknowledged that he should have personally checked the firearms on set. He expressed that it was important for Halyna Hutchins’ family to understand what truly transpired and emphasized the need for the film industry to take measures to prevent such tragedies in the future. At one point, he stated that what had happened was “not acceptable” but also noted that Hannah had been diligent in her job.
David Halls Has Most Likely Retired From the Film Industry as of Today
David Halls currently resides in Los Angeles, California, and has extensive filmography. From 1990 to 2023, he primarily worked as an Assistant Director for television commercials, films, and TV series. Over the years, he collaborated with several production houses, including Contend, Mr. Big, Biscuit Filmworks, Twitch, and MRB Productions. Some of the notable films he has been involved in include ‘The Matrix Reloaded,’ ‘Undisputed,’ and ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99.’
Additionally, David has two acting credits to his name. In fact, the last film he worked on is ‘Rust,’ which resumed filming in 2023 and wrapped up later that year. Halls chose to return to the project as a tribute to Halyna Hutchins and believed it was essential to help fulfill her vision for the film. According to some reports, he has since retired and is currently maintaining a low profile.
Read More: Lane Luper: Where is Rust’s Camera Assistant Now?
