Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months in prison Monday for her involvement in the fatal shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the film “Rust.”
Gutierrez-Reed, 26, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in early March following the shooting death of Hutchins in 2021. Baldwin, 66, was holding the gun when it fired, shooting and killing Hutchins and injuring another. He is currently awaiting trial for manslaughter in relation to the case.
Gutierrez-Reed was in charge of the weapons on the “Rust” set and allegedly ignored gun safety protocols, leading to a live round ending up in the gun used by Baldwin, the New York Post reported. Text messages presented throughout the case suggest the armorer was using drugs the night before the incident, which prosecutors alleged caused her lack of professionalism and led to Hutchins’ death.
‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Convicted Of Manslaughter https://t.co/v8IUwUTtn7
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“A conditional discharge is not appropriate. The second option — leaving you in the detention center — is giving you a pass you do not deserve … you alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon. But for you, a husband would have his wife and a little boy would have his mother,” New Mexico District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer told Gutierrez-Reed.
In a victim statement, Hutchin’s best friend Emilia Mendieta told the court, “Halyna’s death is the result of a massive system failure … it all boils down to a very simple question: Why was there a live bullet on set? … That is where Hannah Gutierrez-Reed failed Halyna. It was her job to check the gun, check the bullets, to ensure that Halyna was safe.”
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – MARCH 01: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (C) talks with her attorney Jason Bowles (R) and her defense team during the trial against her in First District Court on March 1, 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Photo by Jim Weber – Pool/Getty Images)
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (C), the former armorer at the movie Rust, attends her sentencing hearing with attorney Jason Bowles (L) and paralegal Carmella Sisneros (R) at the First Judicial District Courthouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico, April 15, 2024. (Photo by EDDIE MOORE / JOURNAL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – FEBRUARY 28: A still from a video clip featuring Alec Baldwin shown during the involuntary manslaughter trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed at the First Judicial District Courthouse on February 29, 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.(Photo by Gabriela Campos-Pool/Getty Images)
PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 28: Halyna Hutchins attends the SAGindie Sundance Filmmakers Reception at Cafe Terigo on January 28, 2019 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie)
PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 19: Filmmaker Halyna Hutchins attends the 2018 Sundance Film Festival Official Kickoff Party Hosted By SundanceTV during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival at SundanceTV HQ on January 19, 2018 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Sonia Recchia/Getty Images)
Prosecutors asked the judge to come down firmly on Gutierrez-Reed as they believe she still refuses to take responsibility for her actions. Gutierrez-Reed apparently called the jurors in her case “idiots” and “assholes.” (RELATED: REPORT: Alec Baldwin Says ‘Rust’ Contract Makes Him Untouchable, Hints Victim Was Also Responsible For Shooting)
“I wasn’t sure exactly what recommendation would be appropriate in this unprecedented case until last week when I completed the review of Ms. Gutierrez’s jail calls,” hearing prosecutor Kari Morrissey said. “It was my sincere hope during this process that there would be some moment when Ms. Gutierrez took responsibility and expressed some level of remorse that was genuine. That moment has never come. Ms. Gutierrez continues to refuse to take responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins.”
Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer Jason Bowles says he plans to appeal his client’s conviction and sentence.
