An attorney representing the assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin a loaded gun on the set of the film Rust says it was not her client’s responsibility to confirm whether the weapon was safe to use or not – contradicting his admission that he should have checked the gun beforehand.
Lisa Torraco was the lawyer for Rust assistant Director David Halls and said, “He’s not responsible to checking it,” in a televised interview Monday night on Fox News.
“That’s not an assistant director’s job.”
Lawyer Lisa Torraco, representing Rust assistant director David Halls, declared in a televised interview with Fox News Monday night that her client was not responsible for checking’ whether the gun he allegedly handed to Alec Baldwin that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was safe to use or not. She refused to admit that her client gave the gun to Alec Baldwin.
Torraco explained to Martha MacCallum that he could check the firearm if he wanted to make sure everyone is safe. But that is not his responsibility.
According to a Santa Fe County Sheriffs search warrant, Halls admitted to police that he should’ve checked all rounds in the prop gun before it was given Baldwin, the lead actor. He also accidentally shot two crew members.
Halls admitted to investigators that he didn’t recall spinning the drum before the October 21 shooting. This injured director Joel Souza, and left Halyna Houtchins, 42, dead.
“David advised that the incident wasn’t a deliberate act,” one detective wrote in his report.
David Halls, Assistant Director, is said to be one of three people who handled the loaded firearm before the tragic accident
Santa Fe police were also informed by Souza that Baldwin’s assistant director was supposed check the gun before he handed it to him, but he couldn’t recall if he had.
“He advised that he should’ve checked all of them, but didn’t,” the warrant read.
Torraco however claims that Halls’ job description didn’t require him to check the gun.
Torraco said Monday night that asking an assistant director if they would check a firearm is like asking the assistant directors to check the camera angle or to check the sound or lighting.
Torraco also claimed that Halls didn’t handle the gun on the day of the incident, contradicting the accounts of the investigators in the affidavit.
“This idea my client grabbed a gun and handed it over to Baldwin absolutely didn’t happen,” the attorney testified in Monday’s interview. Then, he retraced and dodged questions about whether Halls actually gave the gun to Baldwin.
McCallum asked McCallum to press the attorney, asking her straight-out if Halls ‘doesn’t know if Alec Baldwin was given the gun.’
The televised spot by Torraco was made hours after the client had spoken out about the incident.
Monday’s statement addressed the shooting of October 21. Halls called Hutchins a ‘friend’ and asked for a’revaluation’ of the industry’s values.
Halls stated, ‘I’m shocked by her death.’ Halls stated, “It is my hope that this tragedy will cause the industry to reevaluate and reevaluate its values to ensure that no one is hurt again through the creative process.”
Halls, Rust assistant Director, made his first statement since October 21st shooting at the Santa Fe filming location that killed Hutchins. It also wounded director Joel Souza.
He said that Halyna Hutchins was more than just one of my most talented colleagues, but also a friend.
Despite his silence, the assistant Director failed to address reports that the gun was in the hands of him before the tragic accident.
The other two were armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, and Baldwin, who received the gun from Halls.
Despite his silence, the assistant director did not address reports that he was one the three people who handled the loaded gun prior to the tragic accident that claimed Hutchins’ life and wounded director Joel Souza.
Halls had, reportedly, declared it a “cold” weapon. This means that it was loaded only using blanks and not having checked all of the rounds in its gun barrel. Above, Alec Baldwin speaks on the phone in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office in Santa Fe
Search warrants show that Halls and all others on the set were unaware that the gun Baldwin was handed contained live ammunition.
Halls had reportedly declared it to be a ‘cold weapon’, meaning it was loaded with blanks only, and without having checked all rounds in the gun barrel.
Halls spoke out shortly after the disturbing final words of Hutchins, who was lying dying on Rust San Fe’s film set, were revealed.
“That was no good. That was no good at all,’ Hutchins, 42, said seconds after she was fatally shot by Baldwin.
Hutchins’ last words came after lead actor Baldwin discharged a prop Colt .45 revolver that was supposed to be loaded with blanks but contained live ammunition, and were reported Sunday by the Los Angeles Times after a slew of interviews with cast and crew.
DailyMail.com exclusively obtained photos from the late mother-of-one’s wedding day 16 years ago, which show the Ukraine-born woman adorned in a long, white gown, accompanied by her parents Olga and Anatoly Androsovych, and her husband, Matt Hutchins.
DailyMail.com has obtained exclusive photos of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (pictured in the white wedding gown) on her wedding day 16 years ago, with husband Matt Hutchins (second from left) and parents Olga Androsovych (at far left) and Anatoly Androsovych
“That was no good. The mother-of-two, 42 years old, said that it was no good at all seconds after Alec Baldwin shot her on the set of indie Western Rust. She then succumbed to her injuries.
Hutchins’ last words came after lead actor Baldwin discharged a prop Colt .45 revolver that was supposed to be loaded with blanks but contained live ammunition, and were reported Sunday by the Los Angeles Times after a slew of interviews with cast and crew.
‘What the f**k just happened?’ Baldwin reportedly asked cast and crew members after the shot went off, and Hutchins suddenly stumbled back into head electrician Serge Svetnoy’s arms. After being grazed, Joel Souza, director of the film, also jumped on the deck.
DailyMail exclusively reported on Halls’ reputation for being lenient with safety and ‘flippant towards firearms’ on previous movie sets.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragic accident. DailyMail.com received information from pyrotechnicians/prop masters who worked alongside Halls on other projects.
One crew member, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being blacklisted, told DailyMail.com that he’d worked with Halls on two similarly low-budget sets in Los Angeles in spring 2019, one where a revolver and Glock were used, and another involving shotguns.
They would meet each morning to discuss weapons and safety issues. This was a industry standard. Halls said he didn’t think they were necessary.
‘He was very flippant concerning my insistence that I have a safety meeting about weapons, on both sets’ said the crew member. Jay has been working on films for ten years and asked to use the pseudonym Jay.
“He would rush through it and say: alright guys, be safe, we’ll get to work.”
He said, “Even though the guns weren’t loaded, you must treat it as if they were always there.” “And that means that I have to conduct a safety meeting. Although it may seem redundant, it is essential so everyone is on the same page.
‘He would rush through it and say, alright guys, be safe, let’s get to work’
He continued, “Systemically, so many pressures are placed on the first assistant director to meet a scheduled, to’make day,’ meaning get all the work done you have already planned for the day.
“When it is safety on set or having to be patient for anything, because safety requires time, I have seen 1st ADs get annoyed that they had to wait.
“But they ultimately understand that it is necessary to do so. It was the first time that any AD asked me this question when I worked with him.
No live bullets were used on either set and no guns were pointed at any other person. Camera angles gave the illusion that the guns were in target. The ‘armorer, or person responsible for weapons on set, would shine a flashlight through the barrel to show there was no obstruction or potential projectile before anyone touched the trigger.
Jay stated, “When you fire, no projectile can come out, even though it could still be dangerous.” Jay stated, “That’s where you’ll find rules.” You shouldn’t aim it at anyone at all.
After the shooting, Halls removed his LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. He spoke out about the tragedy on Monday.
Sources on the set of Rust said the incident that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins could be tied to the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
He said that in no case would an assistant director touch the gun.
Jay stated, “His job is check the guns visually, check them together with the actor, and with the set steward who is the property person, or the armorer.”
“The gun’s chain of custody should be between the armorer, property person and the actor who is directly handling it.”
Jay stated that there should not have been any live ammunition on Rust’s set.
He believes Hall is responsible for the tragedy as he shouted “cold guns” without ever having visually examined the weapon to “clear the gun.”
Jay stated that he feels that he is responsible for everything.
“First, he was never supposed handle that prop. Then, he declared the gun a cold gun. It takes only a few seconds for you to check the gun to ensure it is safe.
“He didn’t know if it was a cold-gun, so why did he make that announcement?”
The crew was filming inside the church when the shooting occurred on Thursday. Production has been halted
He concluded that Halyna would still exist if it weren’t to the actions he took within those few seconds.
Maggie Goll was a pyrotechnician working with Halls for a Hulu series Into The Dark in 2019. She told DailyMail.com that she complained about Halls to the Directors Guild of America after he tried continuing filming despite a diabetic member being on set.
The crewmember was also an pyrotechnician and was needed to supervise a scene with a fireplace containing 100 candles. Goll stated that he fell and she extinguished all flames and called an ambulance. Halls, however, wanted to continue shooting.
She said that he “neglected” to hold safety meetings during the same shoot.
‘Dave failed to hold safety meetings and make announcements before a firearm appeared on set on a daily base.
“The only reason that the crew was made aware that a weapon was present was because the Assistant Prop Masters demanded Dave acknowledge the situation and announce it each day.
A girl pays respects to Halyna, a Burbank, California, vigil, on October 23, 2018.
“This Asst Prop Masters would announce on camera each day when a gun was required, the disposition of the weapon. It could be a rubber/plastic replica or a non-firing option. Anyone could inspect the weapon before bringing it to set.
‘The Prop Masters was also very vigilant in reclaiming any weapon distributed before the talent leaving set.
“The Prop Master often reprimanded Dave for not returning props, weapons included, or failing safety announcements.
She said that she filed several complaints with a safety phone number after the shoot and tried to contact Directors Guild of America. But, nothing was done.
‘That was the last I saw of Dave and that AP. That was, until Dave’s name started to pop up on the internet in relation to the accident at the set of “Rust.”
“I feel terrible that I have not pushed for greater accountability and safety.
“Many of us have emailed each other asking the same question: Is there anything we could have done to prevent the tragedy in New Mexico yesterday?”
She said, “It is a terrible feeling.”