Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for Alec Baldwin movie Rust, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison in the trial surrounding the fatal 2021 on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month, and has been held in a Santa Fe prison ever since. Eighteen months was the maximum possible sentence.
Hutchins, 42, was killed on October 21, 2021, after being shot with a live round of ammunition from a prop gun being held by Baldwin. Rust director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident, but not critically.
According to the Associated Press, prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for bringing live ammunition to set, and for failing to follow basic satefy protocols. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey added that Gutierrez-Reed failed to show appropriate remorse during the trial, saying that she “continues to refuse to accept responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins.”
For her part, Gutierrez-Reed argued that she tried her best despite not having “proper time, resources and staffing.” “My heart aches for Hutchins and her friends and family,” Gutierrez-Reed said at the trial, per NBC News.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, also attempted during the two-week criminal trial to put more of the blame on Baldwin for pointing the prop gun. “What caused her to pass was Mr. Baldwin going off-script and pointing the weapon,” he said, NBC News reports.
Baldwin is set to head to trial, meanwhile, this July. Last April, charges against Baldwin were dropped, although prosecutors continued to investigate. Baldwin was charged again, however, with involuntary manslaughter this past January, and faces up to 18 months in prison as well if convicted.
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Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
