BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

‘Rust’ armorer sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison

  • Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter
  • She recieved an 18-month prison sentence
  • The defense asked for probation 

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

(NewsNation) —  The woman in charge of firearms on the set of the movie “Rust” received an 18-month prison sentence Monday for her part in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

A Santa Fe, New Mexico, judge issued the maximum possible sentence for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, whom a jury convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death. The defense had asked for “conditional discharge,” a form of probation in New Mexico.

Hutchins died from a shot fired by a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal. The gun held a live round instead of the blank Baldwin expected.

Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney called the shooting a “cascade of tragedy” that resulted from “multiple system failures by multiple people.”

Her hand in the up-and-coming cinematographer’s death made her “human,” not “a monster,” Gutierrez-Reed added, addressing the judge directly.

“I beg you, please don’t give me more time,” Gutierrez-Reed said.

However, several people, including the judge, accused the armorer of failing to take accountability.

“You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon.” the judge said. “But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive.”

In January, Baldwin pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge. His lawyers have been seeking to have the charges dismissed.

Movie industry and union rules have prohibited live ammunition on movie sets for decades. Prosecutors contended that Gutierrez-Reed unwittingly brought live rounds to the set and that she flouted basic weapon safety protocols.

“Eighteen months is shockingly low for involuntary manslaughter” compared to other states, according to criminal trial attorney Sara Azari.

Family and friends described Hutchins as a “joyful soul,” someone whose passion, creativity, kindness and generosity were felt deeply by the people around her.

Her legacy is one of a “poignant and purposeful” storyteller who was “luminous and endlessly curious,” her friends and family said.

Through tears, Hutchins’ relatives and closest friends considered what her future — and those of her 9-year-old son, her husband, and her family living in Ukraine — might have been.

“It is one thing to talk about how great she was and another thing to understand she is gone forever,” Hutchins’ sister said in a recorded statement that prosecutors played in court Monday.

Crime

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Fair

la

80°F Fair Feels like 80°
Wind
5 mph WSW
Humidity
21%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 53F. Winds light and variable.
53°F A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 53F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
3 mph N
Precip
0%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous