Wednesday, a New Mexico jury found “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of the film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. Gutierrez Reed was found not guilty of a separate tampering with evidence charge.
After less than three hours of deliberation, the jury’s decision followed two weeks of testimony highlighting safety shortcomings on the film set. The 26-year-old now faces a potential sentence of up to three years in state prison, with sentencing slated for a later date. Following the verdict, Gutierrez-Reed was immediately taken into custody and will remain incarcerated until her sentencing.
Gutierrez-Reed’s role as the film’s armorer placed her in charge of the firearm that discharged a live bullet, tragically striking cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Prosecutors argued that Gutierrez-Reed unknowingly introduced live ammunition onto the “Rust” set at a ranch near Santa Fe, where the fatal incident occurred. They contended that live rounds had been present for at least 12 days prior to the shooting.
This trial marks the first legal action taken in the wake of the October 2021 tragedy.
A separate manslaughter trial involving Alec Baldwin, who pulled the trigger of the firearm, is scheduled for July.
