- Armorer Gutierrez jailed 18 months for Rust film set shooting
- Sentenced for involuntary manslaughter after actor Alec Baldwin’s firearm discharge
- Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins perished; actor Baldwin faces manslaughter charge trial
Hannah Gutierrez was the armorer in command of weapons during the 2021 Rust filming when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by a revolver discharged by Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal.
The weapons supervisor is responsible for the fatal gunshot of the film’s cinematographer on set of Rust has been incarcerated for 18 months.
Today, Hannah Gutierrez, age 26, was sentenced to death in Santa Fe, New Mexico, following a trial in which she was found guilty by jurors of involuntary manslaughter.
In October 2021, while she was in control of weapons for the Western film’s production, actor and co-producer Alec Baldwin discharged a Colt 45 revolver during a rehearsal. Baldwin had fired the firearm.
As a result of the incident, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins perished, and director Joel Souza sustained injuries.
Following a two-week trial in which they heard testimony from scores of witnesses, including eyewitnesses, FBI evidence analysts, an ammunition supplier to Rust, and Mr. Souza over ten days, the jury in the Gutierrez trial reached its verdict.
A statement in support of Gutierrez’s sentencing was read aloud to the court by Olga Solovey, the mother of Ms. Hutchins.
She claimed that time had not healed the rift in her life; instead, it had only prolonged her agony and distress.
“Being the sole burden is the loss of a child.” “There are no adequate words to express my feelings,” said Ms. Solovey, an individual of Ukrainian descent.
“You transformed a weapon that was previously safe into one that is lethal.”
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer imposed the maximum sentence on Gutierrez, stating that a conditional discharge was inappropriate and that detaining the firearms supervisor in a detention facility would “grant you a pass you do not merit.”
“Your apology did not convey a sense of responsibility; while you expressed regret, it did not explicitly state that you were “sorry for what you did.” “Your attorney was required to convey your remorse to the court,” the judge stated.
You are not the type to experience remorse, which is a profound sense of guilt resulting from prior transgressions.
She stated that Gutierrez’s conduct was “substantially violent” and constituted a “serious, violent offence.”
“You, the armorer, were the one who stood between a harmless weapon and one that was capable of causing death. “You alone rendered a weapon that was previously safe and lethal,” the judge continued.
Ms. Hutchins would still be alive, a spouse would have his life companion, and a young boy would have his mother, all because of your actions.
Prosecutors held Gutierrez accountable for inadvertently transporting live ammunition onto the set, which was strictly prohibited, and for neglecting to adhere to fundamental gun safety protocols.
They had requested that Gutierrez-Reed be sentenced to 18 months in prison and labeled a “serious violent offender” to restrict her future eligibility for a sentence reduction.
However, according to defense attorneys, the weapons supervisor has suffered from anxiety, dread, and depression as a daily occurrence due to the intense publicity surrounding her prosecution in conjunction with an A-list actor. This has left her permanently damaged.
Her legal team had requested a new trial and petitioned for her release from prison following the verdict.
What is taking place regarding Baldwin’s case?
Baldwin, 66, who is both the star and producer of the film, is additionally accused of involuntary manslaughter and is scheduled to appear in a distinct court on July 10th. His denial of any malfeasance has been made.
The trial in question is currently under the supervision of the judge who rendered the sentence for Gutierrez-Reed.
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After the incident, Baldwin was initially charged in January 2023, more than a year later. A few months later, based on evidence that the revolver’s hammer may have been altered to fire without the trigger being pulled, those allegations were dismissed.
The star was subsequently re-charged in January of this year.
Baldwin has stated that the pistol discharged after he retracted the hammer but not the trigger.
His defense has submitted a motion requesting that the allegations be dismissed once more. In response, prosecutors filed a 32-page document last week alleging that footage of the celebrity on set demonstrated he “completely lacked emotional control” and “could not care less about the impact of his behaviour on others.”
Last year, assistant director David Halls, who was also confronted with allegations, reached a plea agreement for negligent use of a lethal weapon, which resulted in a suspended sentence of six months.
Baldwin reprised his role as the title character of Rust, which he filmed in Montana the previous year, following an agreement that appointed the widower of Ms. Hutchins as an executive producer.
