Hannah Gutierrez-Reed In The Spotlight: The ‘Rust’ Shooting Case Unfolds

The trial proceedings for the on-set shooting incident during the filming of “Rust” have officially begun. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, is at the center of the case. She faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering in connection to the unfortunate death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The incident occurred during a rehearsal scene in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, on October 21, 2021.

The crux of the case revolves around how a live round ended up on the movie set and subsequently in the prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin. The discharge of the gun led to the tragic death of Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

Prosecution’s Argument

In his opening statement, New Mexico’s special prosecutor, Jason Lewis, painted a picture of Gutierrez-Reed’s handling of the weapons as “sloppy.” He argued that her negligence and failure to adequately inspect the firearm before its use on set that day were the primary factors leading to the tragic incident.

The prosecution plans to call upon numerous witnesses during the two-week-long trial. These witnesses will testify about Gutierrez-Reed’s unprofessional conduct, including her habit of leaving firearms and ammunition lying around the set in an unattended and disorganized manner. To substantiate their claims, the prosecution presented photographs allegedly showing live rounds in both the gun holster worn by Baldwin and in the boxes of ammunition found on Gutierrez-Reed’s cart.

Defense’s Counter Argument

Jason Bowles, Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, denied these claims. He claimed that the actor did not follow set safety measures; this was the real reason for Hutchins’ death. Baldwin had pointed a real gun at Hutchins and Souza, not a prop gun, as he was reporting; hence, it could mean that he either had his finger on the trigger of the gun or had pulled it.

Bowles also drew attention to the fact that she was under pressure because of her two jobs. She was an armorist and a prop assistant. He said that this dual role did not give her enough time to monitor the guns on set. Furthermore, he refuted the prosecution’s assertion that his client was the one who brought the live rounds into the set. However, Bowles did not clarify whether Gutierrez-Reed will testify on her behalf.

Baldwin’s Position

Alec Baldwin, who is also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, is going to have his trial a little later this year. Previous accusations against the actor had been dropped because of new evidence. Baldwin, in different interviews, has consistently denied shooting the gun and is curious about who should be responsible for the tragic events. His claims contradict a report by a forensic expert hired by the prosecution, which found that the firearm was unmodified and that Baldwin must have pulled the trigger for the gun to discharge.

The trial going on is expected to present a variety of evidence and summon a lot of witnesses, including the first responders and the sheriff deputies who were there immediately following the deadly shooting. In addition to this, the prosecution intends to introduce text messages that indicate that Gutierrez-Reed was deep into drugs and alcohol after work hours, including the night before the shooting.