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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer who was working on the set of the tragic Alec Baldwin western Rust, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
A New Mexico jury, after deliberating for under three hours, ruled that Gutierrez-Reed was guilty of involuntary manslaughter, which means she now faces up to 18 months in state prison. Following the conclusion of the trial, the presiding judge ordered that the 26-year-old be remanded into custody pending sentencing.
The verdict will certainly be noteworthy as far as Alec Baldwin is concerned, as he, too, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to Hutchins’ untimely death.
After a prop gun that Baldwin — who the prosecution categorized as being a “primadonna” — was holding fired a live round, Hutchins while struck and killed, while director Joel Souza was also injured.
“I submit to you what caused her to pass was Mr. Baldwin going off-script and pointing the weapon,” Jason Bowles, Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer, said, according to NBC News.
“Alec Baldwin’s conduct and his lack of gun safety in the church that day is something he’s going to have to answer for… Not with you not today. That’s for another jury for another day.”
At this time, Baldwin’s trial is currently scheduled to begin in July. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges of involuntary manslaughter.
During Gutierrez-Reed’s trial, the state brought in Bryan Carpenter, a veteran armorer, as their expert witness.
When asked if he saw anything wrong when watching a video of Baldwin on set, Carpenter that he was “using the weapon as a pointing stick.”
Since the October 2021 incident, Baldwin has been in just three live-action films: Supercell, 97 Minutes, and Atrabilious. The 65-year-old actor is best known for his work in films such as Beetlejuice, The Hunt for Red October, and The Departed, and the hit NBC sitcom 30 Rock.