Jury Selection Begins for ‘Rust’ Armorer Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter
HANNAH GUTIERREZ REED WAS THE WEAPONS PROFESSIONAL ON THE RUST SET (ARMORER). SHE WAS NOT INVITED BACK TO FINISH THE MOVIE WITH THE REST OF THE CREW.
By Ruthie DiTucci
The trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer who handled the firearms on the set of the indie Western film “Rust”, began on Wednesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gutierrez-Reed faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of tampering with evidence in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin in October 2021.
Gutierrez-Reed, who was 25 at the time of the incident, was in charge of ensuring the safety and proper use of the weapons on the movie set. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has tried to have the case dismissed, but a judge ruled last week that the trial could proceed. Her attorneys have argued that she is not directly responsible for Hutchins’ death and that there were multiple failures by other crew members and producers.
The shooting occurred on Oct. 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, where the film was being shot. Baldwin, who was also a producer of the film, was rehearsing a scene in which he had to point a Colt .45 revolver at the camera. The gun, which was handed to him by assistant director Dave Halls, was supposed to be a prop gun loaded with blanks. However, it turned out to be loaded with a live round that struck Hutchins in the chest and director Joel Souza in the shoulder. Hutchins, 42, died from her injuries, while Souza, 50, survived.
The investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office revealed that there were several safety lapses and violations on the set, including the use of live ammunition for target practice, the lack of supervision and inspection of the firearms, and the mixing of dummy and live rounds in the same box. The sheriff’s office also alleged that Gutierrez-Reed handed off a small bag of cocaine to a friend after her interview with the police on the day of the shooting.
Baldwin, who has maintained that he did not pull the trigger and that he was unaware that the gun was loaded with a live round, was also initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023, but the charges were dropped three months later. However, he was re-indicted by a grand jury this past January and has pleaded not guilty. His trial date has been set for Aug. 6.
Jury selection in Gutierrez-Reed’s trial is expected to last for several days, as both the prosecution and the defense will try to find impartial jurors who have not been influenced by the extensive media coverage of the case. The trial itself is expected to last until March 6, according to court documents. If convicted, Gutierrez-Reed could face up to three years in prison.
