Armourer who handed gun to Alec Baldwin found guilty over fatal movie set shooting
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armourer who handed actor Alec Baldwin a gun on the set of Rust , was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins
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A jury has found Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the accidental 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The armourer who gave Alec Baldwin a gun on the set of the doomed movie Rust did not take the stand in her own defence during the trial, which lasted nearly two weeks.
The jury deliberated for 2.5 hours before delivering the verdict on Wednesday. She was found not guilty of evidence tampering.
Gutierrez-Reed did not react as the verdicts were read out, but appeared to be in disbelief when the judge ordered she be taken into custody.
Loved ones and supporters gathered in the Santa Fe courtroom were visibly upset. Her sentencing was set for April, but an exact date is to be determined. She faces up to 18 months in prison.
Actor and producer Alec Baldwin is also facing involuntary manslaughter charges related to the shooting. His trial will begin on 9 July.
Prosecutors said Gutierrez-Reed is to blame for unwittingly bringing live ammunition on set and that she flouted basic safety protocols for weapons handling.
The defence said she was unfairly scapegoated for problems beyond her control, including Mr Baldwin’s handling of the weapons.
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Juror says Gutierrez-Reed guilty verdict was ‘fair'
Juror Alberto Sanchez said that he believed the decision to find Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty on the charge of involuntary manslaughter was “fair”.
Speaking outside the court following the verdict, Mr Sanchez explained how the jury had reached its verdict in the trial in less than three hours.
“There were a lot of safety issues, she could have paused, stopped and cleared it up,” he said. “[She] never did the safety checks...if you’d have done that this would not have happened.”
Asked how he felt about the decision he replied: “I think it was fair and... someone died, I mean, you gotta take responsibility, especially when you’re handling weapons and you’re in charge of those, that’s your job.
“And lack of experience or whatver you want to call it, you took the job.”
Alec Baldwin did not play a part in juror deliberations
The role of Alec Baldwin, who served as the star and producer of the “Rust” movie, did not factor into the decision to convict armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed of involuntary manslaughter, a juror in the case has said.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of one charge on Wednesday, though a separate charge of tampering with evidence was dismissed.
During the trial, it was announced that Mr Baldwin’s trial – in which he is also charged with involuntary manslaughter – will begin on 9 July.
Speaking outside court following the verdict, juror Alberto Sanchez was asked if Mr Baldwin or other members of the film’s production team had played a part in the deliberations.
“They’re gonna have their day [in court] so we really didn’t take that into consideration, it wasn’t part of it,” Mr Sanchez said.
In pictures: The trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
Watch: Rust armorer was ’worried about her career' after death of Halyna Hutchins
ICYMI: Armourer who handed gun to Alec Baldwin in fatal Rust movie set shooting found guilty
The jury deliberated for 2.5 hours before delivering the verdict against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on Wednesday, in Santa Fe, New Mexico
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Armourer who handed gun to Alec Baldwin in Rust movie set shooting found guilty
The jury deliberated for 2.5 hours before delivering the verdict against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on Wednesday, in Santa Fe, New Mexico
‘A bunch of f****** bull****’ – family member reacts to verdict
Following the verdict, the judge ordered that Hannah-Gutierrez Reed to be taken into custody, with family members of the armourer sobbing.
Gutierrez-Reed appeared to be in disbelief as she removed her necklace and blew a kiss to her family as she was escorted out of the room by two deputies.
Seconds later, a family member screamed out loud as she walks out of the courtroom: “Stacked from the very get-go! It’s a bunch of f****** bull****!” NewsNation’s Alex Caprariello reported.
Defence ‘disappointed’ in today’s outcome
Defence Attorney Jason Bowles says he is disappointed in today’s outcome and plans to appeal the decision, he said outside the courthouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Watch: Witness states set armorer on ‘Rust’ set handed her cocaine to ‘look after’ following shooting
What happened to Halyna Hutchins?
On the day of the shooting, Baldwin was rehearsing a scene in which he was required to draw his weapon and aim it toward the camera.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed had prepared a trio of guns for use in the scene, including two guns that could not fire rounds, and a fully-operational replica of a Colt 45 revolver.
At some point during his draw and explanation, the revolver fired. The bullet struck Halyna Hutchins in the chest, exited her body, and then hit Mr Souza, who was behind her.
First responders transported Hutchins to a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, close to where the film was being shot. She was pronounced dead later that same day. Mr Souza survived.
It was later discovered that a live round had been loaded into the pistol Baldwin used on set that day.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remains emotionless as guilty verdict read out
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remained emotionless as she was convicted of involuntary manslaghter.
Her loved ones, meanwhile, cried in the public gallery. Following the verdict the judge ordered that the armourer be remanded in custody, with a sentence date to be set later.
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