In a shocking turn of events, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer for the film 'Rust,' was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter on April 15, 2024. The sentence came after a jury found her guilty in March of this year for her role in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021. The incident occurred when Alec Baldwin was handling a gun on set that had been loaded with a live round instead of a prop bullet.
Gutierrez Reed's sentencing marks the latest development in the tragic incident that took place during the filming of 'Rust' at Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed when Baldwin discharged a gun during rehearsals for a scene.
Prosecutors argued that Gutierrez Reed had failed to follow proper safety protocols and had handed the gun to someone who should not have been handling it on set. They also claimed she had six live rounds on set for 12 days without checking them. Assistant film director David Halls, who was negligent in checking the gun before handing it to Baldwin, took a plea deal for his role in the shooting and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, had to participate in a firearms safety class, complete 24 hours of community service and not use drugs or alcohol.
Baldwin himself is also facing involuntary manslaughter charges in connection to the shooting and is expected to stand trial in July. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains he did not pull the trigger.
The fatal shooting took place during a break in filming, leaving many questions about how such an incident could have occurred on a professional film set. The investigation into the incident revealed that Gutierrez Reed had failed to properly check the gun and ammunition before handing it to Baldwin, leading to Hutchins' death.
The sentencing hearing was held at the First Judicial District Courthouse in Santa Fe, where Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer handed down the maximum sentence for Gutierrez Reed. The judge stated that her lack of accountability and failure to take responsibility for her actions were major factors in the decision.
Halyna Hutchins' husband, Matt Hutchins, and their son attended the sentencing hearing. In a statement read on his behalf, he said 'time does not heal.' The family is seeking justice for Halyna and ensuring that such an incident never happens again on a film set.
