‘Rust’ Firearms Supervisor Gets 18 Months in Prison for Fatal On-Set Shooting of Alec Baldwin

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie weapons supervisor has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for Alec Baldwin’s fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the western “Rust” during a hearing Monday in which family members and friends gave testimony that included calls for justice and punishment that would bring greater accountability for safety on film sets.

Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury of manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month in a county jail in suburban Texas. Santa Fe. Prosecutors accused Gutierrez-Reed of unwittingly bringing live ammunition to the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and of failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.

Gutierrez-Reed failed to argue for a lesser sentence, telling the judge that she was not the monster people made her out to be and that she had tried to do her best on set despite the lack of “time, resources and personnel”. » Gutierrez-Reed plans to appeal the judgment and sentence, defense attorney Jason Bowles said in an email.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a film set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and injuring the director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. His trial is scheduled for July at a Santa Fe courthouse.

The sentence against Gutierrez-Reed was handed down by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who is overseeing the proceedings against Baldwin. The judge said a sentence less than the maximum would not be appropriate given that Gutierrez-Reed’s recklessness amounted to a serious violent offense.

“You were the gunsmith, the one who stood between a safe weapon and a weapon capable of killing someone,” the judge told Gutierrez-Reed. “You alone have transformed a safe weapon into a deadly weapon. Without you, Mrs. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.

Gutierrez-Reed cried when Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke about the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He said it was a chain of events that led to Hutchins’ death and if the gunsmith had done his job that chain would have been broken.

Friends and family remembered Hutchins as courageous, tenacious and compassionate – a “shining beam of light” who could have accomplished great things within the film industry.

“I really feel like it was due to negligence,” testified Steven Metz, a close friend. “This case should set a precedent for all other actors, filmmakers and everyone on set whose lives are in danger due to the negligence of a gunsmith, a so-called gunsmith.”

Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred read a statement from Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who said his life had been split in two and that time had not healed, but had rather prolonged his pain and suffering. A video of a crying Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, was also played in court.

“It’s the hardest thing to lose a child. There are no words to describe,” Solovey said in his native language.

Hutchins’ Ukrainian relatives are seeking damages from Baldwin for his death in connection with the shooting. Allred said after Monday’s hearing that the family supports his criminal prosecution.

Gutierrez-Reed’s defense attorneys asked for leniency in sentencing, including possible parole that would avoid additional prison time and leave a guilty finding off his record if certain conditions are met.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations that she tampered with evidence in the “Rust” investigation. She also pleaded not guilty to another felony charge that she carried a gun into a Santa Fe bar where guns are banned.

Defense attorneys emphasized the relatively young age of Gutierrez-Reed, 26, “and the devastating effect a crime will have on her life going forward,” arguing she will forever be negatively affected by the intense publicity associated with his parallel pursuits with an A-list actor.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the judge to impose the maximum prison term and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “serious violent offender” to limit his eligibility for a reduced sentence later, calling the defendant’s behavior on the set from “Rust” exceptionally reckless.

Morrissey told the judge Monday that she reviewed nearly 200 phone calls Gutierrez-Reed made from prison over the past month. She said she hoped there would be a time when the accused would take responsibility for what happened or express genuine remorse.

“That time never came,” Morrissey said. “MS. Gutierrez continues to refuse to accept responsibility for his role in the death of Halyna Hutchins.

The judge said sketchy transcripts of Gutierrez-Reed’s phone conversations from prison weighed in the sentencing.

“Hannah says people have accidents and people die, it’s an unfortunate part of life but that doesn’t mean she should be in jail,” Marlowe Sommer said. “The word “remorse” – a deep regret born from a sense of guilt for past wrongs – is not you. »

Defense attorneys argued Monday that Gutierrez-Reed was remorseful and broke down following Hutchins’ death. They also highlighted the systemic problems that led to the shooting.

Last year, “Rust” Assistant Director and Safety Coordinator Dave Halls pleaded no contest to careless handling of a firearm and served six months of unsupervised probation. “Rust” prop master Sarah Zachry, who shared some gun responsibilities on the set, signed a deal with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in exchange for her cooperation.

The pending gun charge against Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a Santa Fe bar days before she was hired to work as a gunsmith on “Rust.” Prosecutors say investigations into the fatal shooting led to the discovery of a selfie video in which Gutierrez-Reed filmed himself carrying a gun in the bar, while defense attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.