A New Mexico judge has upheld an involuntary manslaughter conviction against the movie armorer involved in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust,” where actor Alec Baldwin was handling a prop gun that discharged.
The armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, sought to have her conviction dismissed or a new trial convened, alleging misconduct and evidence suppression by law enforcement. However, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled against Gutierrez-Reed's request.
Judge Marlowe Sommer had previously halted and terminated Baldwin's trial in July due to misconduct by police and prosecutors, as well as their failure to disclose evidence to the defense related to the 2021 shooting incident.
Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by a jury in March and was subsequently sentenced to the maximum 18-month penalty. She currently has an appeal pending in a higher court regarding her conviction.
Prosecutors attributed the tragic incident to Gutierrez-Reed for inadvertently bringing live ammunition onto the “Rust” set and for not adhering to basic firearm safety procedures.
Defense attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed argued that the case should be reconsidered due to the prosecution's alleged failure to share potentially exculpatory evidence.
While Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of charges related to evidence tampering in the “Rust” investigation, she faces a separate felony charge for allegedly carrying a firearm into a Santa Fe bar where weapons are prohibited. A proposed plea deal is currently awaiting court approval.
The fatal shooting occurred during a rehearsal on the movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of “Rust,” was handling the prop gun that discharged, resulting in the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
