Rust Armorer Sentenced to 18 Months In Prison After Conviction For Involuntary Manslaughter

Luis Sánchez Saturno/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool, File

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the former armorer on the set of Rust, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Gutierrez Reed received the maximum sentence from a New Mexico judge following a trial and conviction related to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins died after being shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of Rust in October 2021. The prop gun contained a live round.

Baldwin, who claimed not to know there was a live round in the gun, was indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges and is set to go to trial in July. He has pleaded not guilty and is trying to have his charges dismissed.

Prosecutors alleged that Gutierrez Reed, who was in charge of safety and storage of firearms on the set of the indie Western, was neglectful in her responsibility.  The district attorney also stated that Gutierrez Reed was “likely hung over” when she handed Baldwin the gun in question. The defense argued that Gutierrez Reed was being scapegoated for fatal errors made by others.

Baldwin was rehearsing a scene with the prop gun while cameras were off. When he fired, the bullet hit Hutchins in the chest and also injured Rust director Joel Souza.