First conviction in fatal shooting case during the filming of "Rust"

Alec Baldwin . AFP

The first assistant director of "Rust," which saw the filming of an accidental shooting by actor and producer Alec Baldwin that took the life of a cinematographer, was sentenced Friday to a six-month suspended prison sentence following a plea deal.

This is the first conviction in the case for negligence in the use of a lethal weapon.

It was this first assistant, Dave Holz, who, on October 21, 2021, handed Alec Baldwin a weapon that was supposed to be loaded with a background bullet, and the actor activated it, killing Halina Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

Dave Halls, 63, had given him the gun, telling Baldwin it was "cold," meaning he was not dangerous in Hollywood parlance.

Alec Baldwin, along with the film's arms officer Hannah Gutierrez Reid, have been charged with manslaughter and face up to 18 months in prison and a fine of five thousand dollars.

The police investigation focused specifically on determining how to obtain live ammunition used in this shooting at a farm in New Mexico, which is strictly prohibited to avoid such incidents specifically.

Police concluded that Hannah Gutiérrez Reid had placed ammunition in the weapon used by Alec Baldwin, rather than a background bullet.

Prosecutor Carrie Morrissey concluded during Friday's hearing in a New Mexico state court that Dave Halls, who also served as the security coordinator for the low-budget film and was therefore the "last line of defense," did not "examine every cartridge in the weapon to make sure it was unstuffed."

Alec Baldwin, 64, best known for "30 Rock," has repeatedly said filming officials have repeatedly assured him that his weapon is not dangerous.

By pleading guilty Friday, Dave Halls agrees to testify in the future on the matter.