Gun Supervisor For ‘Rust’ Movie Gets 18 Months In Prison For Fatal Shooting By Alec Baldwin On Set

A film weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in jail within the deadly capturing of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie “Rust,” throughout a listening to Monday wherein tearful relations and buddies gave testimonials that included requires justice and a punishment that may instill better accountability for security on movie units.

Film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury on a cost of involuntary manslaughter within the loss of life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for greater than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing stay ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” the place it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to comply with fundamental gun security protocols.

Gutierrez-Reed was unsuccessful in her plea for a lesser sentencing, telling the choose she was not the monster that folks have made her out to be and that she had tried to do her greatest on the set regardless of not having “correct time, assets and staffing.”

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins throughout a rehearsal on a film set outdoors Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has pleaded not responsible to a cost of involuntary manslaughter. He’s scheduled for trial in July at a courthouse in Santa Fe.

The sentence towards Gutierrez-Reed was delivered by New Mexico Choose Mary Marlowe Sommer, who’s overseeing proceedings towards Baldwin. The choose mentioned something lower than the utmost sentence wouldn’t be acceptable provided that Gutierrez-Reed’s recklessness amounted to a severe violent offense.

“You have been the armorer, the one which stood between a secure weapon and a weapon that would kill somebody,” the choose advised Gutierrez-Reed. “You alone turned a secure weapon right into a deadly weapon. However for you, Ms. Hutchins can be alive, a husband would have his associate and a little bit boy would have his mom.”

Gutierrez-Reed teared up as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke in regards to the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He mentioned it was a series of occasions that led to Hutchins’ loss of life and that if the armorer had been doing her job, that chain would have been damaged.

Family and friends recalled Hutchins as brave, tenacious and compassionate — a “vibrant beam of sunshine” who might have gone on to perform nice issues throughout the movie trade.

“I actually really feel that this was attributable to negligence,” Steven Metz, an in depth good friend, testified. “This case must set a precedent for all the opposite actors, and cinematographers and each one on set whose lives are in danger when we now have negligence within the arms of an armorer, a supposed armorer.”

Los Angeles-based legal professional Gloria Allred learn a press release by Hutchins’ mom, Olga Solovey, who mentioned her life had been cut up in two and that point didn’t heal, quite it solely extended her ache and struggling. A video of a tearful Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, additionally was performed for the court docket.

“It’s the toughest factor to lose a toddler. There’s no phrases to explain,” Solovey mentioned in her native language.

The Ukrainian family of Hutchins are in search of damages in her loss of life from Baldwin in reference to the capturing. Allred mentioned after Monday’s listening to that the household helps his felony prosecution.

Protection attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing — together with a potential conditional discharge that may keep away from additional jail time and go away an adjudication of guilt off her file if sure situations are met.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with proof within the “Rust” investigation. She additionally has pleaded not responsible to a separate felony cost that she allegedly carried a gun right into a bar in Santa Fe the place firearms are prohibited.

Protection attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s comparatively younger age “and the devastating impact a felony may have on her life going ahead.”

They mentioned the 26-year-old will without end be affected negatively by intense publicity related together with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from nervousness, worry and despair because of this.

Particular prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the choose to impose the utmost jail sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “severe violent offender” to restrict her eligibility for a sentence discount later, describing the defendant’s habits on the set of “Rust” as exceptionally reckless.

Morrissey advised the choose Monday that she reviewed almost 200 telephone calls that Gutierrez-Reed had comprised of jail over the past month. She mentioned she hoped there can be a second when the defendant would take accountability for what occurred or specific real regret.

“That second has by no means come,” Morrissey mentioned. “Ms. Gutierrez continues to refuse to simply accept accountability for her position within the loss of life of Halyna Hutchins.”

Protection attorneys argued Monday that Gutierrez-Reed was remorseful and had breakdowns over Hutchins’ loss of life. In addition they pointed to systemic issues that led to the capturing.

“Rust” assistant director and security coordinator Dave Halls final yr pleaded no contest to negligent dealing with of a firearm and accomplished a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. “Rust” props grasp Sarah Zachry, who shared some tasks over firearms on the set, signed an settlement with prosecutors to keep away from prosecution in return together with her cooperation.

The pending firearms cost towards Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days earlier than she was employed to work because the armorer on “Rust.” Prosecutors say investigations into the deadly capturing led to the invention of a selfie video wherein Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, whereas protection attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.