Hannah Gutierrez-Reed: Rust armourer sentenced to 18 months for Halyna Hutchins' death
The picture is from Getty Images.
Two authors named Samantha Granville and Helen Bushby contributed to this blog post from Los Angeles.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, a weapons handler on the movie set, has been given a sentence of 18 months in jail after loading a gun for Alec Baldwin, who then accidentally shot and killed a cinematographer.
She was acquitted of another allegation, which was tampering with evidence. This pertains to the 2021 incident when Halyna Hutchins was shot while working on the film Rust.
The maximum sentence was given to Gutierrez-Reed.
Mr Baldwin is a 65-year-old man who will go on trial for manslaughter in July. Despite the charges against him, he has pleaded not guilty.
On Monday, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer gave Gutierrez-Reed a harsh sentence in a court located in New Mexico. According to her, Gutierrez-Reed's behavior was severe and aggressive, resulting in a violent act committed in a physically violent way.
The judge directed a statement to the individual responsible for modifying the weapon, expressing that they transformed a weapon deemed secure into one that caused fatal harm. The judge acknowledged that if it weren't for this action, Ms. Hutchins may still be living today, and her spouse and child would not have to endure the heartbreak of losing her.
The Western movie set in New Mexico turned tragic when Mr Baldwin accidentally fired a live bullet during rehearsal, which hit and killed Ms Hutchins, a 42-year-old crew member.
The prosecution claimed that Gutierrez-Reed neglected to guarantee that the firearm was exclusively loaded with imitation rounds, which are phony bullets that resemble and sound like genuine ones.
During the trial's concluding remarks, prosecutor Kari T Morrissey stated that this matter involves ongoing and persistent lapses in safety measures that ultimately led to the loss of a person's life.
According to Ms Morrissey's testimony, Gutierrez-Reed's actions can be described as "neglectful", "reckless", and "unthinking" as she did not realize that real bullets had become intermingled with fake ones in a box of ammunition while on the set.
According to prosecutors, Mr Baldwin used a firearm that had one of the bullets inside.
In March, the Rust armorer was convicted of manslaughter.
The jury took three hours to decide and announce their verdict in March. Ms. Hutchins' loved ones, her parents, and sister expressed their contentment with the outcome.
Their comment stated: "We hope that the legal system will keep pursuing the legal repercussions for those accountable for the death of Halyna."
The source of the image used in this blog post is from Getty Images.
In 2021, Halyna Hutchins lost her life while working on a film set.
Prior to receiving her sentence, Gutierrez Reed spoke to the court, expressing her sorrow for the loved ones of the Hutchins family.
Crying, she stated that just because the jury convicted her, it doesn't automatically define her as a monster. It simply means that she is a regular human being.
However, Judge Sommer expressed that she believed the armourer failed to take responsibility for her actions. "I did not perceive any acknowledgment of accountability from you," stated the judge.
Ms Hutchins' family members, who are originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, shared their thoughts on the case in pre-recorded videos. In one of the videos, Ms Hutchins' mother, Olga Solovey, mentioned that no one has ever extended their condolences to them regarding the death of her daughter. The video was translated from Ukrainian to English.
She expressed that justice holds a significant value to her.
VIEW: Video footage taken from a police officer's body camera after the Rust shooting incident.
While in the courtroom, the prosecuting party put forth proof indicating that Gutierrez-Reed transported a container full of active bullets from her place of residence in California to the film location in New Mexico. They claimed that these bullets gradually dispersed throughout the site in a span of twelve days.
According to Ms Morrissey, the person responsible for providing the weapons on set did not have any intention of carrying live ammunition. She expressed her belief that the death of Ms Hutchins was a result of unfortunate carelessness.
The prosecutor stated that Gutierrez-Reed was primarily concerned with her profession rather than the individuals affected by the shooting incident.
During the two-week trial, Gutierrez-Reed's testimony was not given. However, her attorney made a statement in conclusion that the prosecutors were unable to confirm that his client was the only individual responsible for the deadly gunfire.
According to her lawyer, Jason Bowles, the boxes containing ammunition are irrelevant. This is because it is unclear what they contained three or four days earlier. Bowles argued that his client was unaware of the presence of actual bullets on the set.
According to Mr. Bowles, Mr. Baldwin is responsible for the incident because he went beyond the script and aimed the gun at the film crew. He added that this action was not predetermined, and the victim had no idea it would happen.
Bowles promised to challenge the adverse judgment.
Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of any wrongdoing for evidence tampering, as alleged that she tried to get rid of a tiny pouch of drugs following the shooting.
In the previous year, the team responsible for the making of the movie completed shooting as a way of honoring Ms Hutchins. Her spouse played the role of an executive producer.
