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Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Found Guilty In Rust Shooting Case: Faces Prison Time For Involuntary Manslaughter
The New Mexico jury convicted her for her role as the armorer on set. Prosecutors argued negligence in handling the weapons, alleging that live rounds were present due to Gutierrez-Reed's oversight.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer for Alec Baldwin’s western flick Rust has been convicted of manslaughter for her role in the fatal on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Hutchins was shot dead by Alec Baldwin while the actor was rehearsing with a prop gun, which was supposed to have false bullets. Aiming at Hutchins during the October 21, 2021, rehearsal on the set of Rust, Baldwin fired off the weapon, allegedly unaware of the fact that it had a live round.
A New Mexico jury found Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for ensuring that all firearms on the set were safe, guilty of involuntary manslaughter. During the trial, prosecutors alleged that the weapons supervisor loaded a fully functioning Colt.45 revolver with dummy rounds and at least one live round.
For a detailed summary of the allegations and counter-allegations made during the trial, read on!
Rust Shooting: Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed found guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter
During the Wednesday trial, Prosecutor Kari Morrissey alleged, “She [Gutierrez-Reed] was negligent; she was careless; she was thoughtless.”
The prosecution’s case against Gutierrez Reed focused on how a live round of ammunition ended up on the film set and in the prop gun. As the film’s armorer, Gutierrez Reed was responsible for checking and cross-checking each weapon on set, making sure they were safe to use.
Prosecutors in the case also argued that Gutierrez-Reed’s behavior on the set was “sloppy” and unprofessional. She allegedly left the ammunition unattended and disorganized on multiple occasions.
Additionally, the prosecution claimed that Gutierrez-Reed brought the live rounds of ammunition on the set from home.
“We believe that it was the negligent acts and failures of the defendant, Ms. Gutierrez, that resulted in both the acts that contributed to Ms. Hutchins’ death and to the live rounds being brought on to the set,” prosecutor Jason Lewis said in the opening statement.
The defense counterargued, “It was not in the script for Mr. Baldwin to point the weapon. She didn't know that Mr. Baldwin was going to do that. Ms. Gutierrez didn't point that weapon.”
Post-trial, Reed was taken into immediate custody. She faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. She had pleaded not guilty in the case with her attorneys, claiming that she was being used as a scapegoat in the tragic incident that Baldwin was solely responsible for.
Her attorney also vowed to file an appeal.
As for Alec Baldwin, he is scheduled to stand trial in July.
Testimonies from other Rust crew members
The two-week trial saw dozens of testimonies from multiple witnesses, including an emotional testimony from crew member Ross Addigo, who told the jury, “Two people were injured on the film set. That has affected not only me; that has affected the film industry.”
He went on to describe Gutierrez-Reed as less professional than other armorers he had worked with, reaffirming the prosecution's claims of the firearms being left unsecured and unattended on the set.
Joel Souza, who, besides Hutchins, was the second person wounded by Baldwin's misfire in October 2021, testified, noting, “I just kept saying: ‘You don't understand…No, no, no…this was a movie set. That's not possible.”
Statement from Halyna Hutchins’ Parents
The slain cinematographer's parents said that they were “satisfied” with the verdict.
They added, “We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna’s death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions.”
In addition to Gutierrez-Reed, David Halls, the first assistant director of Rust, received a six-month unsupervised probation sentence in March 2023 after pleading no contest to his misdemeanor charge in the case.
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