‘Rust’ AD Admits He Didn’t Check The Gun Handed To Alec Baldwin

Dave Hall, the assistant director for Rust, reportedly admitted that he didn’t check the gun he handed to Alec Baldwin before the fatal shooting.

According to a search warrant obtained by The New York Times, Hall told investigators he failed to check all the rounds in the firearm.

“David advised when Hannah showed him the firearm before continuing rehearsal, he could only remember seeing three rounds,” read the filing. “He advised he should have checked all of them, but didn’t, and couldn’t recall if she spun the drum.”

Rust’s armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, allegedly told investigators that “live ammo is never kept on set”. Guttierrez was responsible for the weaponry on set and told law enforcement that ammunition was left out on a cart during lunch.

Asked about the set’s safety protocols, Hall explained: “I check the barrel for obstructions, most of the time there is no live fire, she opens the hatch and spins the drum, and I say ‘cold gun on set.”

He admitted that he didn’t remember if Gutierrez had spun the drum, and added that he only remember seeing three rounds.

Earlier, Baldwin shared the report by NYT to his Twitter page. Hall reportedly declared the weapon “cold” before he handed it to the actor, indicating it was safe and unloaded. The gun in fact contained one live round which subsequently killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured the director, Joel Souza.

In a news conference held on Wednesday (October 27), Sheriff Adam Mendoza of Santa Fe County revealed that the “lead projectile” had been recovered from Souza’s shoulder. He added that approximately 500 rounds, including live ammunition, had been recovered from the set.

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