Alec Baldwin: Assistant Director on Set of Rust During Shooting was Previously Fired for Similar Incident

The assistant director who cleared the gun for use by Alec Baldwin to shoot on the set of the movie Rust was previously involved in a similar incident, according to reports. This news comes as a shocking revelation.

David Halls was worked as an assistant director on the set of the movie cFreedom’s Path in 2019 when a prop gun also unexpectedly fired:

“I can confirm that Dave Halls was fired from the set of Freedom’s Path in 2019 after a crew member incurred a minor and temporary injury when a gun was unexpectedly discharged. Halls was removed from set immediately after the prop gun discharged. Production did not resume filming until Dave was off-site. An incident report was taken and filed at that time,” a producer on the film said.

A replacement was quickly found and the injured crew member recovered in less than a week.

It’s not known if the producers of Rust were aware of Halls’s history. According to the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office, Halls handed Baldwin a prop gun from a cart and said it was a “cold gun,” meaning there was no live ammunition inside.

According to the affidavit, Halls didn’t know the gun had live rounds. The shooting killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

Currently, the filming of Rust has been put on hold for the investigation. We’ll keep you posted as new information becomes available.