Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, armorer on the set of the Alec Baldwin-starring film Rust, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
After almost three hours of deliberations, the jury determined Gutierrez-Reed was guilty of manslaughter since it was "her job to check those rounds and those firearms," juror Alberto Sanchez said, according to the New York Times.
Throughout the two-week trial, prosecutors looked to establish that Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for loading firearms used on the set of Rust with either dummy rounds or inert cartridges when real bullets needed to be seen on camera but the gun could not be fired.
Several crew members on the set of Rust were called to testify that Gutierrez-Reed exhibited a pattern of negligence leading up to the tragic death of 42-year-old Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021.
Rust first assistant director Dave Halls testified Gutierrez-Reed would normally spin the cylinder of a weapon in front of him as part of their safety checks. Halls, who previously avoided jail time by accepting a plea deal, admitted they were not as thorough on the day that Hutchins was shot and killed.
"I don't recall her fully rotating the cylinder,” Halls said before acknowledging, "I did let that safety check pass.” Six live rounds were found by police in the revolver held by Alec Baldwin at the time of the shooting.
Crew members allege Gutierrez-Reed’s prop cart where she held the guns and ammunition was not organized.
Jason Bowles, lead attorney for Gutierrez-Reed, said in his closing arguments that his client has become the “convenient fall person” for the production’s shortcomings.
One witness who vouched for Gutierrez-Reed was an inspector from the state’s Occupational Health & Safety Bureau, who said she was not given adequate time to "conduct her duties to the best of her diligence."
Gutierrez-Reed faces up to 18 months in prison.
Per TMZ, Halyna Hutchins' family shared a statement via attorneys Gloria Allred and John Carpenter:
"Halyna’s parents and her sister have always wanted everyone who is responsible for Halyna’s death to be held accountable. Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process. We are satisfied that the jury, based on the evidence, found Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for her part in the taking of Halyna’s life. We look 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."
