Film Armorer Held Responsible for Death of Ukrainian Cinematographer Galyna Gatchins, Not Alec Baldwin
Armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who worked with props on the set of the film "Rust" in 2021, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. However, she was acquitted of tampering with evidence related to the shooting incident that led to Hutchins' death during the filming of "Rust," as reported by the BBC.
The court has yet to determine the sentencing but plans to announce it at a hearing in April. Gutierrez-Reed could face up to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors argued that Gutierrez-Reed was "careless," "negligent," and "reckless" as she failed to notice real bullets mixed with dummy rounds on the film set. "This case involves a series of ongoing safety breaches that resulted in the loss of life," prosecutor Kerry T. Morrissey said during closing arguments on Wednesday.
Prosecutors also presented evidence that Gutierrez-Reed brought a box of live ammunition from her home in California to the film set in New Mexico, where they remained for 12 days.
They also claimed that Gutierrez-Reed failed to ensure that the firearm was loaded only with blanks—fake bullets that look and sound real. However, her defence argued that she had no intention of using live ammunition during the shoot, and Hutchins' death was a result of "accidental negligence." The prosecutor also noted that Gutierrez-Reed was more concerned about her career than the safety on set.
It's worth noting that actor Alec Baldwin, who fired the fatal shot on the film set, will also face trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter in July. Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, in turn, accused Baldwin of "deviating from the script" when he pointed the gun at the film crew.
"Mr. Baldwin had no right to point the firearm according to the script. My client had no idea that Mr. Baldwin was going to do what he did," the lawyer said.
He also stated that his client was unaware of the presence of live ammunition on the film set.
It is reported that Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer intends to appeal the court's decision regarding his client.