After ‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Is Found Guilty In Death Of Halyna Hutchins, Attention Shifts To Alec Baldwin’s Manslaughter Trial

Last week, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for an accident on the set of the independent film, Rust.

In 2021, on the set of the movie Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed by a weapon being used by star Alec Baldwin during a scene rehearsal. The weapon, which was supposed to contain only blanks, had a live round.

Gutierrez was the weapons supervisor on set but did not adequately check the gun before its use on set.

In the trial, lawyers presented information that Gutierrez should have performed gun safety protocols and ensured that no live rounds were brought on set.

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey stated in her closing remarks: “Hannah Gutierrez failed to maintain firearms safety, making a fatal accident willful and foreseeable.”

While Gutierrez was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, she was found not guilty of a second charge of tampering with evidence.

Gutierrez’s lawyers argued that she was being blamed for major issues on set including Baldwin’s mishandling of weapons. Her lawyer, Jason Bowles, told the jury that “it was not in the script for Mr. Baldwin to point the weapon.”

Prosecutors also blamed assistant director David Halls, who pleaded no contest early last year.

Baldwin was indicted of involuntary manslaughter as well in January.

Baldwin maintains that he never pulled the trigger of the gun, despite the FBI ruling that the revolver could not have fired without the trigger being pulled. His trial is currently scheduled for July.

Hutchins’ family commented on the verdict, saying, “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.”