The armorer for the film “Rust” was sentenced last Monday in a New Mexico court to 18 months for her role in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was killed on-set by a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin, CNN reported.
A jury convicted Hannah Gutierrez Reed in March of involuntary manslaughter after only three hours of deliberations.
Prosecutors accused Gutierrez Reed, who was responsible for firearm storage and safety, of repeatedly violating gun safety protocols during the 2021 filming of “Rust.” They argued that her negligence ultimately led to the death of Hutchins.
The defense argued that Gutierrez Reed was being served up as a scapegoat for the safety failures of the management and other crew members on the film.
During sentencing, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer noted that Gutierrez Reed failed to “take accountability” during her allocution. The judge pointed out that the armorer only said she was sorry without saying that she was sorry for what she did.
The judge told Gutierrez Reed that it was she who “turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” adding that but for her, Hutchins would still be alive, her husband “would have his partner” and her son “would have his mother.”
In its sentencing recommendation, the prosecution had requested the maximum 18-month sentence for Gutierrez Reed, citing her “failure to accept responsibility.” The defense asked the judge to release Gutierrez Reed on probation, pointing to her history of “prior good works” and her lack of a criminal record.
Gutierrez Reed has remained in custody since her March 6 conviction.
Her attorney Jason Bowles told CNN that he planned to appeal the conviction.
A grand jury indicted actor Alec Baldwin on one count of felony involuntary manslaughter in January after the charge was initially dropped last year. The actor, who maintains that he did not pull the trigger, pleaded not guilty and is expected to go to trial in July.
