Hannah Gutierrez-Reed: Rust armourer sentenced to 18 months for Halyna Hutchins' death
The 26-year-old armorer was acquitted of a separate charge of evidence tampering related to the tragic incident that occurred during the filming of Rust in 2021. Despite this, she has received the maximum possible sentence for the manslaughter conviction.
Alec Baldwin, the actor who was involved in the shooting, is set to stand trial for manslaughter in July. He maintains his innocence and has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, presiding over the case in a New Mexico court, emphasized the gravity of Gutierrez-Reed's actions during sentencing on Monday. She characterized Gutierrez-Reed's actions as a severe and violent offense, committed in a physically aggressive manner.
Addressing Gutierrez-Reed directly, Judge Sommer highlighted how Gutierrez-Reed's actions transformed a safe weapon into a deadly one. The judge underscored that had it not been for Gutierrez-Reed's actions, Halyna Hutchins would still be alive, and her loved ones would not have suffered such loss.
Halyna Hutchins, aged 42, tragically lost her life when a firearm used by Alec Baldwin discharged a live round during a rehearsal on the New Mexico set of the Western film.
Prosecutors argued that Gutierrez-Reed's negligence led to the fatal incident, emphasizing a pattern of ongoing safety failures that ultimately resulted in the loss of life.
According to Ms. Morrissey's statements to the jurors, Gutierrez-Reed's actions were characterized as negligent, careless, and thoughtless. She failed to detect the presence of live bullets among dummy rounds in an ammunition box on the set. Prosecutors asserted that one of these live bullets ended up in the firearm used by Mr. Baldwin.
After three hours of deliberation in March, the jurors reached their verdict. Halyna Hutchins' parents and sister expressed their satisfaction with the outcome. In their statement, they expressed anticipation for the justice system to ensure that all individuals accountable for Halyna's death are held legally responsible for their actions.
Halyna Hutchins was killed while on set in 2021
Prior to her sentencing, Gutierrez-Reed spoke in court, expressing sympathy for the Hutchins family and friends, stating that her heart goes out to them.
She tearfully asserted, "The jury's guilty verdict does not define me as a monster but rather as a human being."
However, Judge Sommer remarked that she felt Gutierrez-Reed did not fully acknowledge her responsibility for her actions. "I did not hear a full acceptance of accountability from you," the judge commented.
In recorded videos from their hometown of Kyiv, Ukraine, Ms. Hutchins' mother and sister addressed the court. Olga Solovey, the mother, expressed in a translated video that none of those involved in her daughter's death had ever reached out to offer condolences.
She emphasized the importance of achieving justice, stating, "It's crucial for me that justice is served."
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence indicating that Gutierrez-Reed had transported a box of live bullets from her residence in California to the New Mexico film set. They argued that these live rounds gradually made their way throughout the set over a period of 12 days.
Ms. Morrissey stated her belief that the armorer did not intend to bring live ammunition to the set but characterized Ms. Hutchins' death as a tragic outcome of negligence.
The prosecutor contended that Gutierrez-Reed's primary concern was her career rather than the well-being of the victims following the shooting incident.
Although Gutierrez-Reed did not testify during the two-week trial, her lawyer asserted in closing arguments that prosecutors had not sufficiently proven his client's sole responsibility for the tragic shooting.
Her lawyer, Jason Bowles, argued to the jury that the contents of the ammunition boxes were irrelevant since their contents days prior were unknown. He maintained that Gutierrez-Reed was unaware of the presence of real bullets on the set.
Bowles also shifted blame onto Mr. Baldwin, suggesting that his deviation from the script by pointing the gun contributed to the incident. He stated, "It was not scripted for Mr. Baldwin to handle the weapon in that manner," indicating Gutierrez-Reed was unaware of Baldwin's actions.
Bowles declared his intention to appeal the guilty verdict.
Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of evidence tampering charges related to allegations that she tried to discard a small bag of narcotics following the shooting incident.
In a gesture of tribute to Ms. Hutchins, the cast and crew of the movie completed filming last year, with her husband taking on the role of executive producer.
