Rust production wanted to fire ‘difficult to work with’ armourer before Alec Baldwin shooting
“Rust” first assistant director David Halls testified during the trial, and choked up when he recalled the shooting of Halyna Hutchins
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“Rust” prop master Sarah Zachry testified during the trial and admitted to a defence attorney that she had previously voiced a desire to both fire Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and — after the shooting of Halyna Hutchins — see her sent to prison.
After the cross-exam, Ms Zachry told the prosection that the armourer was not easy to work with and confirmed that Gutierrez-Reed had called her a “c***,” which the prosecution argued is likely why Ms Zachry wanted to fire her.
Gutierrez-Reed is facing involuntary manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of Ms Hutchins. Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is also facing involuntary manslaughter charges related to the shooting. His trial will begin on 9 July.
The prosecution seeks to prove that Gutierrez-Reed was negligent in her duties on set and that proper protocol was in place during the investigation of the shooting. The state claims the armourer was “sloppy” and had left guns unattended on the set.
Gutierrez-Reed is also facing an evidence tampering charge for allegedly asking a friend to hide cocaine for her while police were investigating the shooting.
Gutierrez-Reed faces up to three years in prison if she is convicted.
John Ziello recalls moments after Halyna Hutchins was shot
John Ziello, the key rigging grip on the set of “Rust,” recalled the moments after Halyna Hutchins was shot.
He said he heard the shot from outside the church and rushed inside after he heard calls for someone to call 911. He said he pushed pews inside the church away to make room for people to assist Ms Hutchins.
Mr Ziello said he held Ms Hutchin’s head and neck to assist paramedics.
During his recollection of the events he struggled to maintain his composure. He had just driven Ms Hutchins to the church in the moments prior to the shooting.
‘Rust’ grip cross-exmained
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney has asked John Ziello, the key rigging grip on the set of “Rust,” if the trauma of the event may have affected his memory of the night Halyna Hutchins was shot.
He said that he took contemporaneous notes following the shooting and insisted he trusted his recollection.
During his testimony to the prosecutors, he said immediately after the shooting he saw Gutierrez-Reed and first-assistant director David Halls unloading the gun Alec Baldwin was holding when Ms Hutchins was shot.
State calls David Halls, ‘Rust’ first assistant director, to testify
David Halls, the first assistant director on Rust, has taken the stand.
He was also charged in the shooting of Halyna Hutchins.
He pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to a six month probation after taking a plea deal with prosecutors.
The defence has attempted to put the blame for the shooting on the “Rust” production, Alec Baldwin, and Mr Halls.
Dave Halls says he did not call for the gun to be brought to Alec Baldwin on the day Halyna Hutchins was shot
David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” said he did not call for a gun to be brought to Alec Baldwin on the day that Haylna Hutchins was shot.
He said typically when actors are being used to help “block” scenes they do not have weapons, props, or wardrobe. Those are usually given just before a scene is ready to be filmed.
Mr Halls said even though he did not call for a gun, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed wanted to do the gun check at the time of the rehersal. That gun check occurred prior to the crew taking a lunch break.
He said when the gun check occurred, there were no bullets loaded in the revolver.
After the lunch break, he said Gutierrez-Reed told him she had put dummy rounds in the revolver. Dummy rounds are typically loaded into a gun to make it appear loaded for filming.
He said after a second safety check he saw the dummy rounds inside the gun, and described them as “very distinctive bright brass ... and all the primers were depressed.”
Mr Halls said he only saw “three or four” of the bullets in the drum, but not all six. He said he did not see Gutierrez-Reed turn the cylinder.
David Halls recalls the moment the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins occurred
David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” recalled the moment that cinematographer Haylna Hutchins was shot.
He said Alec Baldwin pulled his gun out, cross-drawing, and was talking with Ms Hutchins about where to pull the gun.
Mr Halls became emotional during the recollection.
“The idea that it was a live round of ammunition that went off...it wasn’t computing,” Mr Halls said.
He initially thought it was a blank that went off, or an obstruction in the gun.
Mr Halls said Ms Hutchins fell to the ground three feet to his left.
He then began crying. Mr Halls said he asked if Ms Hutchins was alright, and she said “I can’t feel my legs.”
Mr Halls said he then left the church to make sure 911 was being called, and the set medic arrived to assist Ms Hutchins.
‘Rust’ assistant director said Gutierrez-Reed wasn’t in the church with the gun used to shoot Halyna Hutchins
David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” said shortly after the shooting he grabbed the revolver Alec Baldwin was holding when Halyna Hutchins was shot and asked Hanah Gutierrez-Reed to unload the gun.
He said he needed to see what was loaded inside the gun.
Mr Halls later said that Gutierrez-Reed wasn’t in the church with the gun, and admitted that in his experience that was not something an armourer would do when a gun was present on scene.
‘Rust’ assistant director says he was not compelled to testify under plea agreement
David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” said his plea agreement did not force him to testify in Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s involuntary manslaughter trial.
When asked why he chose to participate, he said he wanted everyone to know the truth about what happened on the set.
“It’s important to me that the truth be known, that Halyna’s husband and son know what happened. It’s important to me that the cast and crew of ‘Rust’ know what happened, and that the televsion and film industry know what happened, so that this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
The trial then broke for a short recess.
David Halls sits for cross-examination
David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” is now being cross-examined by Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s defence attorney Jason Bowles.
The focus of Mr Bowles questioning thus far has been on Alec Baldwin’s actions on set.
Mr Bowles has asked if Mr Baldwin “rushed people on set” and shot a gun after a scene had ended.
Gutierrez-Reed’s defence has argued that the shooting of Halyna Hutchins was the fault of Baldwin and the production crew on “Rust.”
Defence says David Halls gave Alec Baldwin the gun used in ‘Rust’ shooting, Halls says he did not
David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” said he did not give Alec Baldwin the gun used in the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s defence attorney reminded him that his testimony conflicts with statements given both by Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed, who both allegedly said that Baldwin was handed the gun by Mr Halls.
The defence attorney pointed out that, without Gutierrez-Reed on set, Mr Halls became the point person for ensuring safety on set at the time of the shooting.
Jason Bowles, Gutierrez-Reed’s defence attorney, has stated that he believes his client was an “easy target” and that the producers and Baldwin are at fault for Ms Hutchins’ death.
Prosecutors point out that Alec Baldwin changed his story about who handed him the ‘Rust’ revolver
The prosecutors have asked David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” if he remembers Alec Baldwin changing his story about who gave him the revolver on the day Halyna Hutchins was shot.
Baldwin initially said Hannah Gutierrez-Reed gave him the gun. During a later interview with a police detective, he reportedly changed his story and said that Mr Halls gave him the gun.
Baldwin’s story reportedly changed after Gutierrez-Reed spoke to detectives and claimed that Mr Halls gave the actor the gun.