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David Halls, the First Assistant Director who handed Alec Baldwin the prop gun that accidentally killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western film Rust, has broken his silence. In a statement provided to the New York Post, he called on the film industry to “reevaluate its values” after the tragic event.

“Halyna Hutchins was not just one of the most talented people I’ve worked with, but also a friend,” Halls said. “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.”

During an on-set rehearsal last month in New Mexico, Baldwin pulled the trigger on a prop gun that unexpectedly fired a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. According to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court, Halls accidentally handed the actor a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use just moments before the accident, court records released Oct. 22 show.

In a recent Fox News interview, Halls’ lawyer, Lisa Torraco, said it wasn’t her client’s responsibility to confirm the gun was unloaded. She also stated that Halls didn’t handle the prop firearm containing a live round the day of the incident.

“The idea my client grabbed the gun and handed it to Baldwin absolutely did not happen,” Torraco said. “[Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed] brought the weapon in.”

Amid investigations, Halls’ conduct on previous film sets has been called into question. In 2019, he was reportedly fired from the film Freedom’s Path after a gun accidentally went off on set. A producer on the movie told Deadline that Halls was removed after a crew member sustained “a minor and temporary injury after the prop gun discharged.”

Freedom’s Path crew members also told Rolling Stone that Halls refused to provide 74-year-old actress Carol Sutton with a crash pad that involved her character falling. She later fell over and injured herself.