Jury selection is underway in the trial of armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for the tragic shooting incident that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Hutchins was fatally shot during the production of the Western film “Rust” near Santa Fe in October 2021.
Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence, facing a potential prison sentence of up to three years if convicted. As the designated armorer, she was responsible for managing firearms on the film set.
Despite Gutierrez-Reed’s attempts to have the case dismissed, a judge ruled last week that the trial would proceed.
Opening statements are anticipated to commence later this week in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In January, Alec Baldwin, the film’s lead actor, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’ death.
This latest charge against Baldwin followed the dropping of previous charges in April due to new information necessitating further investigation.
The actor entered a plea of not guilty on January 31st, with no trial date set for his case as of now. The tragic incident occurred when a prop gun, held by Baldwin, discharged at close range during a rehearsal scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch set.
Baldwin, 65, maintains he did not pull the trigger of the Colt .45 pistol, insisting he only drew back its hammer.
He argues that he cannot be held accountable for Hutchins’ death as he was unaware of live rounds in the weapon and because live ammunition was not supposed to be present on set.
The source of the live ammunition on the film set remains officially undetermined.
Gutierrez-Reed was initially charged with manslaughter in early 2021, with additional charges of evidence tampering added later when she allegedly refused to provide further information about the live rounds.
Despite the tragic incident, filming for “Rust” resumed in early 2023, though the movie has yet to be released.
