'Rust' Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Convicted of Manslaughter

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer who put a live round into a gun that actor Alec Baldwin was holding on the set of the movie Rust when it fired and killed a cinematographer, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday.

Jurors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, found Gutierrez-Reed guilty after a two-week trial, where prosecutors argued the armorer was negligent on the Rust set. The 12-person jury found the armorer not guilty of evidence tampering related to accusations of giving another crew member a bag of cocaine. Gutierrez-Reed has maintained she was not the source of the live ammo.

Context

The conviction of Gutierrez-Reed is the first time a jury has weighed in on the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin is also facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter and is slated to stand trial in July. He pleaded not guilty.

Gutierrez-Reed's sentencing date has not been set but she could face up to 18 months in prison.

What We Know

Baldwin, the film's star and producer, was charged after the gun he was holding discharged on the Western's set near Santa Fe on October 21, 2021. Hutchins was killed and writer-director Joel Souza was injured.

The actor has argued that he was not responsible for the shooting, saying that he was told that there were no live rounds in the gun. There were supposed to be no live rounds at all on the set, where six—including the one that fatally struck Hutchins—were found by investigators.

Rust assistant director David Halls had previously signed a plea agreement on a charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. Halls reportedly checked the gun that killed Hutchins before handing it to Baldwin. As a result of the plea agreement, Halls received a suspended sentence and six months of probation.

Production on the movie came to an instant halt following Hutchins' death. It was revealed a year later that filming was set to resume, with Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins—who had filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February 2022—serving as an executive producer.

Newsweek reached out via email on Wednesday night to Gutierrez-Reed's attorney for comment.

Views

Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, Jason Bowles, argued that the armorer was being used as a "scapegoat."

"They're trying to blame it all on Hannah, a 24-year-old," Bowles said. "Because why? Because she's an easy target. She's the least powerful person on that set."

While the firearm discharged in the hands of Baldwin, the actor maintained that he did not pull the gun's trigger in the fatal incident. A spokesperson for the actor declined Newsweek's request for an interview or comment on Wednesday night.

What's Next?

Bowles said after the hearing on Wednesday that Gutierrez-Reed will appeal her conviction.

Baldwin's trial is set to start this summer, with jury selection slated to begin July 9 and the trial beginning the following day, the Associated Press reports.

Update 03/06/24, 7:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include more information.