‘Rust’ armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is in jail awaiting sentencing for manslaughter
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This story has been so sad from the beginning. In October 2021 Alec Baldwin held what he believed to be an unloaded prop gun while filming Rust, an indie movie he was starring in and producing. By accident, an armorer (the crew member who supervises the handling of weapons) gave Alec a gun that was actually loaded with live ammunition the armorer had brought on set herself. Both director Joel Souza and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were shot while Alec was holding the gun, and only Souza survived. In January 2023 Alec and the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Alec’s charges were dropped a few months later, however he was indicted again earlier this year. Last week Hannah was found guilty and immediately taken into custody to await sentencing. According to TMZ, Hannah is having a “tough time” in jail.
Jail is hell for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed … the “Rust” armorer is having a tough time behind bars as she awaits sentencing for her manslaughter conviction.
Hannah’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, tells TMZ … she is having a really difficult time in her new digs, a New Mexico detention center.
We’re told Hannah’s family is already setting up a time to visit her … and her loved ones have been devastated by her guilty verdict for involuntary manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.
Hannah was found guilty Wednesday and was quickly booked into the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility, posing for a mug shot.
As you know … Hannah was the armorer on the “Rust” movie set when Alec Baldwin shot Halyna with a pop gun loaded with live ammunition during a scene.
Hannah’s lawyer says they will be appealing her conviction, seeking to overturn the verdict and judgment.
While Hannah was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, she was found not guilty of evidence tampering.
Remember, Hannah’s defense blamed the accident on her being overworked by the production, and her legal team insisted Halyna’s fatal shooting wasn’t on Hannah at all.
Hannah’s attorney says the courtroom was shocked when the guilty verdict was returned … and it sounds like she’s dealing with shock of her own as she tries to adjust to life behind bars.
Her sentencing date has not been set yet, but she’s facing up to 18 months in prison.
When this happened back in 2021, George Clooney commented on just how many safety checks and precautions had to be ignored to result in a fatal accident. I haven’t worked with Clooney (yet!), but from my limited experience in off off off off Broadway theatre, I can vouch that we would go through endless checks during rehearsals and before each performance. Whether it was a lift, a fight, or handling a weapon, we had to practice going through the steps at half speed and gradually kept going until we ran it at show speed with no hitches. Again, before each show.
Being overworked explains why you may have done your job poorly (if not criminally); it doesn’t take away your basic responsibility to do your job right. I would think that applies tenfold for jobs related to public and workplace safety. To be sure, the production team should be held accountable too, and it’s unclear at this time how Alec’s role as producer factors into that (there are lots of levels of producing credits). Hannah, who is only 26 now, was clearly too young and inexperienced for this job. The production team is responsible because they hired her, but Hannah is also responsible because she took the job. Still, I have no doubt that she’s in “hell” and “shock” right now in jail. But you know who’s also having a difficult time? Halyna Hutchins’ husband and son, her parents and sister.
