Former Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was handed an 18-month sentence for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
On Monday (Apr. 15), the maximum penalty sentence was given by a Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in New Mexico for Guiterrez-Reed's involvement in the 2021 shooting. On the set of the Joel Souza-directed film on Oct. 16, 2021, Hutchins was shot in the chest by a prop weapon that was not inspected by Guiterrez-Reed during a gunfight scene.
The firearm, used by actor Alec Baldwin, was supposed to contain dummy rounds, which are fake bullets that look and sound like real ones, but instead carried a live round. Also hospitalized following the incident was Souza, who was struck in the shoulder by the same projectile that hit Hutchins.
In a statement, Guiterrez-Reed, 27, shared her disappointment with how she was portrayed in the media after the shooting. "Your honor, when I took on 'Rust,' I was young and naive. But I took my job as seriously as I knew how to," she said, per CBS News. "I beg you, please, don't give me more time. The jury has found me in part at fault for this horrible tragedy, but that doesn't make me a monster. That makes me human."
The jury found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter, but she was not given a guilty verdict for evidence tampering.
Per TMZ, Guiterrez-Reed's family also provided a statement with their acceptance of the sentencing, as well as them looking forward "to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna's death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions."
Scheduled to go to trial in July is Baldwin, who pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
