Amanda Ross – Staff Writer

amr8469@psu.edu

On March 6, 2024, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the fatal shooting that occurred on the set of the movie ‘Rust’. The trial lasted two weeks, and Reed now faces up to 18 months in prison.Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was the armorer on the set of upcoming film ‘Rust’. The film is a western about a retired outlaw saving his grandson from hanging. It features a scene depicting a ‘cross-draw’, or when the shooter draws their gun across their body before firing. During a rehearsal of the scene, the gun lead actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with discharged, revealing that it contained live ammunition, or real bullets. This bullet then struck cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also hit in his shoulder. Both Hutchins and Souza were taken to the hospital, with Hutchins dying from her injuries. Reed, as armorer, was responsible for all firearms on set as well as making sure they are loaded with the correct type of ammunition. The gun was supposed to be loaded with a dummy cartridge, which would resemble real bullets on camera but would be incapable of being fired. However Reed somehow loaded a live round into the gun Baldwin was rehearsing with. This mistake aligns with the pattern of behavior created by testimony from other crew members on set. Witnesses claimed that Reed’s prop cart, with both weapons and ammunition, was often disorganized, and that she did not immediately take weapons away from actors after scenes concluded. There were also reports of two other rounds going off unexpectedly days before, though the round were not live either time. It is however worth noting that other crew members along with Reed’s defense have alleged being pushed to minimize cost and take on extra duties on set. While this does not absolve Reed of her role in the incident, it could explain why proper safety precautions were not being taken.

Ultimately, the jury ruled that Reed had failed to carry out her duties as armorer, and that such negligence had led to Hutchin’s death. They did however find her not guilty on a charge of evidence tampering, as the singular witness to the crime did not actually check whether or not evidence was in the bag that Reed handed her to throw out. Reed faces a maximum sentence of 18 months for her charge of involuntary manslaughter. It is unclear at this time what the effect of this verdict will be on the upcoming trial against Baldwin, who has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter. This indictment comes only one year after the original charges against Baldwin were dropped, with a grand jury ruling that the prosecution has a case against the seasoned actor.