David Halls, ‘Rust’ First Assistant Director, Pleads to Misdemeanor Gun Charge in Set Death
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer David Halls, the first assistant director on “Rust,” pleaded no contest on Friday to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, making him the first person to be held accountable for the shooting death of the film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.
Halls, who was the film’s safety coordinator, appeared remotely for a plea hearing before a Santa Fe judge. Asked how he wished to plea, he answered, “No contest, your honor.” He will not serve jail time.
Instead, he will serve six months of unsupervised probation. He is also expected to testify at a preliminary hearing in May, as prosecutors pursue involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin and the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed.
Halls was in the church building at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., on Oct. 21, 2021, when Hutchins was killed by a single shot from Baldwin’s Colt .45.
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