Rust Movie Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter in Tragic Shooting Incident

Rust Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter

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Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer for Alec Baldwin's Rust film, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after the tragic on-set death of Halyna Hutchins.

A jury in New Mexico deliberated for two weeks before reaching a verdict on Wednesday, March 6, as stated in court documents obtained by We. Gutierrez Reed, who is 26 years old, could be sentenced to up to 18 months in prison for the manslaughter charge. She was cleared of a charge related to tampering with evidence.

Juror Alberto Sanchez described the jury's verdict as "fair" following the trial. He emphasized the importance of taking responsibility, especially when handling weapons on the job. "Someone died," Sanchez stated, as reported by Variety.

The trial involved Gutierrez Reed, the first person to be tried for the October 2021 shooting on the set of the Western film. Actor and producer Alec Baldwin, 65, is scheduled to face his own manslaughter trial in July.

Baldwin was the one who fired the gun that tragically killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. As the armorer, Gutierrez Reed's role was to make sure that the weapons were used safely during filming. Unfortunately, she mistakenly loaded a real bullet into the gun that was supposed to be filled with fake rounds.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Baldwin faces a second charge of involuntary manslaughter. If found guilty, he could potentially be sentenced to up to 18 months in prison.

Baldwin was first charged in January 2023 and entered a not guilty plea the following month. However, the charges were dropped in April 2023. Despite being the one who fired the weapon, Baldwin has always maintained his innocence.

In a December 2021 interview with George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin adamantly stated, “The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never. I have no idea how a bullet got in there. Someone put a live bullet in a gun that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”

After news of the indictment, Us confirmed that Baldwin's legal team filed paperwork in January 2024. They emphasized their request for a speedy trial, discovery of evidence that could prove their innocence, and notification of their intention to call witnesses. The filing also mentioned that Baldwin aimed to reduce public criticism and doubt by having a swift trial, thus avoiding the challenges of proving innocence after a long delay in legal proceedings.

“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said in a statement to Us at the time.

Editor's P/S:

The conviction of Hannah Gutierrez Reed for involuntary manslaughter in the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" serves as a stark reminder of the paramount importance of firearm safety on film sets. Gutierrez Reed's negligence in mistakenly loading a real bullet into the gun that was supposed to be filled with fake rounds resulted in a preventable tragedy. This case underscores the crucial role of armorers in ensuring the safety of actors and crew members who handle weapons during filming.

The upcoming trial of Alec Baldwin, who fired the gun that killed Hutchins, will further scrutinize the responsibilities of actors in handling firearms on set. Baldwin's defense that he did not pull the trigger raises questions about the level of care and attention required of actors when using firearms during filming. The outcome of this trial will have significant implications for the safety protocols and practices employed on film sets in the future.