Rust Movie Gun Supervisor To Serve 18 Months Prison Sentence For Fatal Shooting By Alec Baldwin

The movie weapons supervisor of Rust was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film. The ruling came on Monday, April 15, by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer. The trial included tearful family members and friends, who gave testimonials that included calls for justice and a punishment that would instil greater accountability for safety on film sets.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed reacts to the judgement 

Movie armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of Rust, where it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.

Gutierrez-Reed was unsuccessful in her plea for a lesser sentencing, telling the judge she was not the monster that people have made her out to be and had tried to do her best on the set despite not having “proper time, resources and staffing.” Gutierrez-Reed plans to appeal the judgement and sentence, defence attorney Jason Bowles said in an email.

What is the Rust firearm controversy?

Alec Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for Rust, was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He is scheduled for trial in July at a courthouse in Santa Fe.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the Rust investigation. She also has pleaded not guilty to a separate felony charge that she allegedly carried a gun into a bar in Santa Fe where firearms are prohibited.

Rust assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. Rust props master Sarah Zachry, who shared some responsibilities over firearms on the set, signed an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in return with her cooperation.

(with AP inputs)