The assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins has broken his silence.
Hutchins, a 42-year-old cinematographer was accidentally killed on October 21 after Baldwin fired a Colt revolver that had been loaded with live ammunition — unbeknownst to him.
The incident, which took place on the set of the film Rust, also resulted in the film's director being injured.
Assistant director, Dave Halls, shouted: "cold gun" to signify that the firearm was safe to use before handing it to Baldwin, per court records, which detail that neither Baldwin nor Halls knew it was loaded with live ammunition.
Now, he's broken his silence following the tragic accident.
"Halyna Hutchins was not just one of the most talented people I’ve worked with, but also a friend," Halls asserted in a statement to the New York Post.
"I’m shocked and saddened by her death. It’s my hope that this tragedy prompts the industry to reevaluate its values and practices to ensure no one is harmed through the creative process again."
He added that he’s been "overwhelmed by the love and support," and that his, "thoughts are with all who knew and loved Halyna."
Baldwin also spoke publicly about the tragedy last week.
Per TMZ, Baldwin spoke to paparazzi on Saturday in Manchester, Vermont, when revealed that he could not comment on the investigation, but did tell reporters: "She was my friend, she was my friend.
"The day I arrived in Santa Fe to start shooting, I took her to dinner with Joel [Souza], the director. We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together, and then this horrible event happened."
Baldwin also revealed that he is in contact with Hutchins' husband and nine-year-old son. "We are in constant contact with him because we're very worried about his family and his kid," the actor said.
On October 26, a district attorney in Santa Fe, New Mexico, announced that she had not ruled out criminal charges over the death of Hutchins.
"We haven’t ruled out anything," district attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, said during a telephone interview, per The New York Times. "Everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table."
Carmack-Altwies said that the verbiage, "prop gun", is misleading and that the firearm that killed Hutchins was a "legit gun," which she described as an "antique-era appropriate gun."
