‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Called Jurors ‘Idiots & A——’ Before Being Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for Alec Baldwin‘s upcoming Western film Rust, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a New Mexico jury on Monday.

The film went into production in October 2021. On October 21, the 12th day of filming, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and killed by Baldwin. While rehearsing for a scene, Baldwin drew the revolver from his holster, which he believed to be empty. 

The gun fired, and the bullet struck Hutchins in the chest. It traveled out of her body and hit director Joel Souza in the shoulder, who survived. Hutchins was transported to the University of New Mexico hospital in Albuquerque via helicopter. Hutchins was pronounced dead. 

The shooting stirred up controversy regarding safety standards in the film industry. It was said that crew members were already concerned about working conditions and the performance of first assistant David Halls, who allegedly ignored safety protocols on a separate set in 2019.

Gutierrez-Reed also had an incident during Nicolas Cage‘s The Old Way. Gutierrez-Reed had fired a gun without warning, causing Cage to walk off-set. Rust was Gutierrez-Reed’s second film.

Following the shooting, Gutierrez-Reed, Halls and Baldwin were all investigated for the death of Hutchins. On Monday, over two years after the shooting, Gutierrez-Reed was given the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

“I did not hear you take accountability in your allocation. You said you were sorry, but not [that] you were sorry for what you did,” said Judge Mary Marlowe. “You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon. But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive; a husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

Gutierrez-Reed did not have a visible reaction. However, Gutierrez-Reed reportedly called the jurors derogatory names, such as “r——,” “idiots,” and “a——” in recorded jailhouse calls.

Prosecutors wrote in their pre-sentencing filing, “[Gutierrez-Reed] continued to complain in her jail cells about the negative effects this incident has had on her life and her modeling career while never expressing genuine remorse at any time.”

Before Gutierrez-Reed’s sentence, Halls pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin is scheduled to go to trial in July. Prosecutors alleged that Baldwin’s behavior on set may have led to the shooting, claiming the actor rushed the crew and cursed at them.