On October 21, 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot and killed when a prop gun fired on the set of Rust. Actor Alec Baldwin was holding the gun. On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the armorer for the Western movie, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was found guilty in a New Mexico court of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the tragic event.
The jury took less than three hours to reach its verdict. The trial lasted two weeks. In addition to involuntary manslaughter, Gutierrez Reed also faced a separate charge of tampering with evidence. She was acquitted on the tampering charge.
After the verdict was read, Gutierrez Reed was remanded into custody by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. Monnica Barreras, her lawyer, appeared to be comforting her. The bailiffs eventually escorted her out of the courtroom. She is expected to be sentenced in April and could face up to 18 months in prison.
Alberto Sanchez, a member of the jury who convicted Gutierrez Reed, opened up about their decision-making process. He believes the verdict was “fair” given the tragic circumstances.
“Someone died,” he explained. “You gotta take responsibility. Especially when you’re handling weapons and you’re in charge of those. That’s your job.”
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Gutierrez Reed is not the only player facing charges in the death of Hutchins. David Halls, the first assistant director on the film, pleaded no contest to charges of negligent use of a deadly weapon as part of a deal with prosecutors. He received a sentence of six months of unsupervised probation, which he served. Alec Baldwin’s trial is scheduled to begin in July.
