Rust armorer found guilty in fatal film set shooting
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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been found guilty in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico movie set in October 2021.
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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, center, talks with her attorney and defense team during the trial. (AP)
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the film Rust, whose set was plagued with controversy, has been convicted for her involvement in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the film's New Mexico movie set.
Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the neo-western film, where Baldwin was also a co-producer. The incident occurred in October 2021 when Baldwin pointed a prop gun at Hutchins, causing it to discharge and fatally injure her. The film's director, Joel Souza, was also wounded in the incident.
A New Mexico jury convicted Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor for the film Rust, of involuntary manslaughter. The prosecution argued that she failed to ensure the safety of firearms on set, alleging that she loaded a .45 revolver with both dummy rounds and at least one live round, leading to the tragic incident involving Alec Baldwin.
“She was negligent, she was careless, she was thoughtless,” prosecutor Kari Morrissey stressed in the trial’s closing statements.
She characterized the film set as having "constant, never-ending safety failures” and criticized Gutierrez-Reed for an "astonishing lack of diligence" in ensuring gun safety.
18 months and a $5,000 fine
Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of a charge of tampering with evidence, but her attorney announced plans to appeal the involuntary manslaughter conviction after the verdict was delivered.
Gutierrez-Reed could potentially be sentenced to 18 months in prison in addition to a $5,000 fine. Despite her not-guilty plea, her defense maintained that she was unfairly made a scapegoat, asserting that Baldwin bore ultimate responsibility for the incident.
Baldwin, also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, is accused of causing Hutchins's death either through negligence or "total disregard or indifference" for safety. Pleading not guilty, he is set to undergo his trial in July.
David Halls, the assistant director of the film, received a six-month suspended sentence with unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service, and a firearms safety class for negligent use of a deadly weapon. Halls, a defense witness, vouched for Reed's competence as an armorer and took responsibility for the shooting.
Halls expressed his testimony with occasional tears, “I let a safety check pass."
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The prosecution emphasized the presence of a live round on the film set and its insertion into the prop gun, which, despite being intended as a prop, was fully operational. Gutierrez-Reed, responsible for overseeing the safety of all weapons on set, was expected to inspect each firearm and ensure they were devoid of live ammunition.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors asserted that Gutierrez-Reed neglected crucial safety protocols that fell under her responsibility. They claimed that her on-set practices were unprofessional and described her work as "sloppy," alleging instances of leaving guns and ammunition unattended and disorganized.
The trial's outcome could have significant ramifications for Baldwin. Testimonies from two firearms experts during Gutierrez-Reed's trial raised questions about Baldwin's version of the shooting and his assertion that the gun malfunctioned.
