‘Rust’ movie armorer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, acquitted of evidence tampering

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer for the film “Rust,” was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a New Mexico trial on Wednesday.

The charges stemmed from the 2021 on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot by a live round fired from a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin.

Gutierrez Reed, responsible for firearm safety and storage on the movie set, was acquitted of a separate charge of evidence tampering.

This charge arose from allegations that she transferred a “small bag of cocaine” to someone else after a police interview on the day of the shooting, which occurred on October 21, 2021.

Following nearly three hours of deliberation, jurors reached a decision, CNN reported.

The 26-year-old, who did not testify in her defense during the trial in Santa Fe, displayed no emotion as the verdict was read and was subsequently taken into custody.

The involuntary manslaughter charge carries a potential sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. The sentencing date was not immediately set by the judge.

Gutierrez Reed is the first individual to face trial in a case that brought attention to safety standards in the film industry, particularly the violations observed on this specific set.

Attorneys representing Halyna Hutchins’ parents and sister expressed satisfaction with the jury’s verdict in a released statement.

Written by B.C. Begley