Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was the armorer on the set when Alec Baldwin’s revolver fired a dwell spherical, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Luis Sánchez Saturno/Getty Images

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Luis Sánchez Saturno/Getty Images

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was the armorer on the set when Alec Baldwin’s revolver fired a dwell spherical, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Luis Sánchez Saturno/Getty Images

A jury in New Mexico has discovered Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the movie Rust, responsible of involuntary manslaughter. During the prison trial, prosecutors efficiently argued that her negligence and recklessness led to the loss of life of the movie’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, in 2021.

Hutchins was behind the digital camera when she was shot by a gun held by actor Alec Baldwin whereas establishing a shot for the Western film. A bullet killed her and wounded director Joel Souza. Prosecutors mentioned Gutierrez-Reed was in charge for unwittingly bringing not less than one dwell spherical of ammunition that was loaded into what was purported to be a prop gun. They argued that she flouted primary security protocols for dealing with weapons on the movie set.

“This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez made one mistake,” particular prosecutor Kari Morrissey mentioned in closing arguments. “This case is about constant, never-ending safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another.”

Morrissey added, “This was a game of Russian roulette every time an actor had a gun with dummies.” She mentioned that regardless that Baldwin was holding the gun that went off, “It is her job to say to an A-list actor, ‘Hey, you can’t behave that way with those firearms.'”

The jury heard testimony by FBI consultants in firearms and crime-scene forensics; the movie’s firearms provider mentioned he by no means equipped dwell rounds to the movie crew. The movie’s assistant director, David Halls, broke down in tears describing how Hutchins was shot.

Prosecutors additionally introduced proof attempting to indicate that after the capturing, Gutierrez-Reed handed one other crew member a small bag of doable narcotics.

Defense legal professional Jason Bowles argued Gutierrez-Reed was unfairly “scapegoated” for the capturing and was the sufferer of sabotage. “You had a production company on a shoestring budget, an A-list actor calling all the shots,” he mentioned in his closing arguments. “In the end, they had someone they could all blame.”

Bowles mentioned, “Justice for Halyna does not mean injustice for Hannah. It does not mean they get to steamroll her and get to spin their version of facts and call it truth. Because that’s not truth.”

Both sides argued in courtroom that as a co-producer of Rust, Baldwin was additionally in charge for the capturing. Baldwin maintains the bullet fired with out him pulling the set off and has pleaded not responsible to expenses of involuntary manslaughter. His prison trial is about to start on July 9.