
RUST Armorer Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter
By Movieguide® Contributor
RUST armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Hutchins was killed in October 2021 when actor Alec Baldwin discharged a weapon that was accidentally loaded with a live round. Director Joel Souza was also injured during the accident, getting shot in the shoulder.
Given her role as the movie’s sole armorer, Gutierrez Reed has faced the brunt of the focus for accident. Throughout the trial, the prosecution argued that Gutierrez Reed was negligent in her job, leading up to Hutchins’ death.
“This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez made one mistake,” said special prosecutor Kari Morrissey in her closing arguments. “This case is about constant, never-ending safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another.”
“Hannah Gutierrez knew that Baldwin was loose. She knew it,” Morrissey added. “She didn’t do anything about it, even though it was her job. It is her job to say to an A-list actor, if in fact, that’s what you want to call him, ‘Hey, you can’t behave that way with those firearms.’ That is her job. That is what they pay her for. That is the job that she applied for. That is the job that she accepted.”
The defense, meanwhile, argued throughout the case that the death of Hutchins was a result of production cutting corners and failing to give Gutierrez Reed enough time to correctly perform her job. Furthermore, they argued, it was not her fault that live rounds ended up on set, nor is she to blame for Baldwin’s decision to pull the trigger while the gun was aimed toward a group of people.
“You had a production company on a shoestring budget, an A-list actor calling all the shots,” said defense attorney Jason Bowles in his closing statement. “In the end, they had someone they could all blame. Justice for Halyna does not mean injustice for Hannah. It does not mean they get to steamroll her and get to spin their version of facts and call it truth. Because that’s not truth.”
“Whoever put the live round on set and then Mr. Baldwin, in the end, going off script and doing what he did. Those are outside events outside of Ms. Gutierrez Reed’s control that she didn’t know was going to happen,” Bowles added.
“They can’t come in here with a straight face and mock us and criticize us and tell you they have given you enough to convict her beyond a reasonable doubt because they haven’t,” he continued.
Nonetheless, after less than three hours of deliberation, the jury found Gutierrez Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter. She is expected to be sentenced sometime in April and faces up to 18 months in prison in addition to a $5,000 fine.
“The evidence wasn’t sufficient to convict. It was a lot of guesswork, a lot of speculation,” said Bowles after the verdict had been reached, revealing he plans to appeal the decision.
Alec Baldwin is set to face his own manslaughter case in July. He has previously pleaded not guilty.
“Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process,” said Gloria Allred and co-counsel John Carpenter, now looking ahead to Baldwin’s case. “We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna’s death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
While charges against Alec Baldwin for his involvement in the deadly RUST shooting were dropped last spring, prosecutors have reopened the case with new evidence against the actor, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Baldwin entered a not-guilty plea to the New Mexico court last Thursday, waiving his virtual appearance scheduled for later that morning. He was not arrested and, under the rules of his parole, is not permitted to possess any firearm, leave the country or communicate with anyone who may testify in the case.
The actor and his legal team maintain that he was unaware that the gun was loaded with live munitions, nor is he liable for checking the gun.
“Performers train to perform, and they are not required or expected to be experts on guns or experienced in their use,” a SAG-AFTRA statement said in Baldwin’s defense. “The industry assigns that responsibility to qualified professionals who oversee their use and handling in every aspect.”
Prosecutors, however, argue that actors are responsible for some level of safety on set, and Baldwin did not meet the most basic requirements.