The ongoing trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of Rust, took a dramatic turn recently when Dave Halls testified. Halls, the assistant director who received probation for the shooting, broke down on the stand. His testimony provided insight into Gutierrez-Reed’s role and the events leading up to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ death.
“I did not see Ms. Gutierrez take the gun from Mr. Baldwin,” Halls said during questioning by the prosecution, “but she appeared back on my left-hand side and she said that she had put dummy rounds into the revolver.”
He described in detail how he was only three feet away from Hutchins when the single gunshot was fired in his testimony. Hutchins inquired as to her well-being while laying on the ground.
“She said, ‘I can’t feel my legs,'” Halls said, wiping away tears, according to video released by Court TV. “She took a few steps to Mr. Baldwin and gave […] Baldwin the gun,” Halls testified.
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A prop gun held by star Alec Baldwin discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Questions immediately swirled about safety oversights.
When Souza went on trial on Friday, he talked about the anguish and shock he experienced just after the bullet that killed Hutchins became lodged in his shoulder.
“I remember initially thinking she had been startled by it,” Souza said. “And then I saw the blood on her back.” Souza testified to the court it was a “chaotic scene.” “I still didn’t quite know what had happened,” Souza said. “Nothing made sense.”
Firearms expert Bryan Carpenter also testified that, while the Rust production should have had two armorers, responsibility ultimately fell on Gutierrez-Reed. “If that is not something you feel capable of doing, you should never step into the position of doing it,” he stated.
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Santa Fe prosecutors brought an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, alleging reckless disregard of safety protocols. However, they dropped the charges in April 2022 before reinstating them this January after naming armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed as a second defendant. His trial is slated for July.
Gutierrez-Reed faces charges of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting. Halls’ testimony aligned with prosecutors’ arguments that she failed to properly check the weapon for live rounds.
Baldwin has maintained his innocence, stating he did not pull the gun’s trigger. Prosecutors must prove otherwise to sustain manslaughter charges. Gutierrez-Reed claims Rust producers denied her requests for proper training and safety measures that could have prevented the tragedy.
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The Rust trials have become a flashpoint for debates around accountability and power structures in the film industry. While low-level crew face charges, stars and decision-makers have largely avoided scrutiny. Many also wonder why live rounds were present anywhere near a film set in the first place.
As for Gutierrez-Reed, tensions have flared between the defense and prosecution. The defense criticized the investigation for not thoroughly probing ammunition supplier Seth Kenney’s potential role in introducing live rounds and waiting over a month to search his business.
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They also poked holes in lead investigator Cpl. Alexandra Hancock’s testimony. She admitted no direct evidence shows Gutierrez-Reed unwittingly brought live ammo onto the Rust set, as prosecutors allege. Hancock also never got DNA samples from Kenney or downloaded his phone contents.
In her interrogation, Gutierrez-Reed stated she brought dummy rounds from an earlier production that had been supplied. She filled two boxes with these rounds for Rust. Her defense has argued she was powerless to prevent the shooting amid pressure from Rust producers and stars to cut corners. They blame Kenney for potentially mixing live and dummy ammo.
Halls responded that he wanted to testify when the prosecutor asked him why he wanted to have “the truth be known.”
“That Halyna’s husband and son, her family, know the truth of what happened,” Halls said. “It’s important that the cast and the crew, producers of Rust know what happened. And it’s important that the industry, the motion picture and television industry, knows what happened so that this never happens again.”
The Rust trial continues with witnesses like Halls, who faces charges over the shooting. Baldwin will not testify in Gutierrez-Reed’s trial but will face a jury himself. The outcome carries weighty implications for workplace safety and accountability in the film industry. It also raises questions around firearms access and misuse.
With new details emerging daily, the case remains complex. For now, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed must wait as witnesses testify on evidence around the shooting itself. Their freedom and reputations hang in the balance. Most agree broader reforms are overdue to protect Hollywood workers and prevent such unnecessary deaths.
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Alec Baldwin claims he didn’t pull the trigger. However, guns don’t go off by themselves. There is one unanswered question as to how live rounds got onto the set and made their way into a prop gun?