Hannah Gutierrez Reed has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to bringing a gun into a Santa Fe, New Mexico bar three weeks before the death of Halyna Hutchins.
Prosecutors accused the “Rust” armorer of bringing a gun into the Matador bar on Oct. 1, 2021, according to Variety. She is reportedly expected to plead guilty to the felony charge and will be sentenced to 18 months of probation. Gutierrez Reed’s defense argued that the charge was aimed at convincing her to pleading guilty in the manslaughter case related to the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust,” the outlet reported. They further alleged that the charges were intended to get her to accept culpability for transporting live bullets to the set, which she has continued to deny, according to the outlet.
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – APRIL 15: Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed wipes her tears at her sentencing at district court on April 15, 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Armorer on the set of the Western film “Rust,” Gutierrez Reed was convicted by a jury of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin in 2021. Gutierrez Reed was sentenced to 18 months in prison. (Photo by Luis Sánchez Saturno-Pool/Getty Images)
The charges related to the gun being brought to the bar could have led to an additional 18 months in prison, but have been reduced to supervised probation at her Arizona residence, according to Variety.
The defense reportedly argued that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey could not pursue this charge as it was beyond the scope of the “Rust” shooting. They challenged the charge by alleging it was entered in response to Gutierrez Reed’s refusal to agree to the plea deal in the manslaughter case, the outlet reported. The defense also alleged this charge originated from a search of the armorer’s phone that was too broad, according to Variety.
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyers have reportedly requested a hearing for later in September. Another hearing regarding the manslaughter case is set for Sept. 26, the outlet reported
TOPSHOT – US actor Alec Baldwin gets emotional at the conclusion of his trial on involuntary manslaughter at Santa Fe County District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on July 12, 2024. Baldwin’s trial for involuntary manslaughter was dismissed by a judge Friday after she ruled that key evidence over a fatal shooting on the set of “Rust” had been withheld from the defense. (Photo by RAMSAY DE GIVE / POOL / AFP) (Photo by RAMSAY DE GIVE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
27-year-old Gutierrez Reed is already serving an 18-month prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The new plea deal is unrelated and will not affect the Hutchins case, Variety noted.
Gutierrez Reed was reportedly found guilty of loading a live round into a firearm handled by Alec Baldwin, which resulted in the death of Hutchins when fired by the actor. (RELATED: REPORT: Prosecutors Allege ‘Rust’ Armorer Was Hungover At Time Of Fatal Shooting)
Baldwin’s manslaughter case was dismissed in July, following a judge’s determination that the prosecution had withheld evidence from the actor’s defense counsel.
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyers want her manslaughter conviction dismissed on a similar basis, according to Variety.
