Topline:
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the gun supervisor on the independent film Rust was sentenced to 18 months in a New Mexico prison today for her role in Alec Baldwin's alleged involuntary manslaughter of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Why it matters: The Rust shooting has captured national attention due to actor Alec Baldwin's involvement in production of the film as well as his direct role in the death of Halyna Hutchins. As the armorer on the set, prop safety was the responsibility of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
The backstory: In March, Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for her negligence in safely loading the prop gun which killed Halyna Hutchins and injured Joel Souza, the film's director. Gutierrez-Reed has been held in a New Mexico jail in Santa Fe since that March 6 ruling.
What's next: Gutierrez-Reed was the first person involved in the Rust shooting to stand trial and be convicted. Alec Baldwin's trial for involuntary manslaughter is scheduled to start on July 10. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty, claiming he pulled the gun's hammer, but did not pull the trigger.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the gun supervisor on the independent movie Rust, has been sentenced to 18 months in a New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility for her role in actor Alec Baldwin's fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
On March 6, Gutierrez-Reed, 27, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after a two-week jury trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gutierrez-Reed was also acquitted of allegations that she tampered with evidence in the Rust investigation following the shooting. She had been in custody ever since.
State prosecutors said Gutierrez-Reed carelessly brought live ammunition onto the set of Rust, where it was prohibited, and that she also failed to follow basic gun safety protocols.
Lead prosecutor Kari Morrissey had asked the judge to impose the maximum prison sentence and to classify Gutierrez-Reed as a “serious violent offender” in order to limit her eligibility for a reduced sentence.
Gutierrez-Reed’s defense requested leniency in sentencing, citing her relatively young age and the emotional turmoil she’s experienced. They also asked for a conditional discharge that would avoid more jail time and remove the guilty judgment from her record, but Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer deemed it "inappropriate."
When handing down her sentencing, Sommer also said of Reed's role on set, "You were the armorer, the one that stood between a safe weapon and a weapon that could kill someone. You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon."
Reed’s legal team claims she has been and will continue to be affected negatively by the publicity involved in having her case judged in tandem with actor Alec Baldwin, causing her to experience overwhelming anxiety and depression.
Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin’s trial is scheduled to begin July 10. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, saying he pulled back the gun’s hammer, but did not pull its trigger, before the gun was set off.
