A movie set armorer is challenging her conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” court records released Monday reveal. The armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, filed a request for a new trial and urged a judge to release her from jail as deliberations proceed.
Gutierrez-Reed was convicted by a jury this month in the shooting incident that occurred during a rehearsal on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2021. Alec Baldwin, who was involved in the incident, has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge and is set to face trial in July.
In an emergency court motion, Gutierrez-Reed's defense attorneys raised concerns about the jury instructions, suggesting that they could confuse the jury and lead to a non-unanimous verdict. However, similar objections to the jury instructions were dismissed during the trial.
Gutierrez-Reed could face sentencing as early as April 15 under the current scheduling orders from Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in Santa Fe. Involuntary manslaughter carries a felony sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Gutierrez-Reed is currently being held at the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility pending sentencing.
The fatal incident occurred when Baldwin was handling a gun on set, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza. Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger but only pulled back the gun’s hammer.
Prosecutors during the trial attributed the presence of live ammunition on the set, where it was prohibited, to Gutierrez-Reed. They also argued that she failed to adhere to basic gun safety protocols, leading to the tragic outcome.
Another individual involved in the incident, “Rust” assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls, previously pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months unsupervised probation.
