Rust weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez jailed over fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin film set

The person in charge of weapons on the set of the movie Rust has been imprisoned for a year and a half due to the accidental shooting of the film's camera director during filming.

Hannah Gutierrez, a 26-year-old woman, has been handed down a conviction of involuntary manslaughter by a jury in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Today, she received her sentencing for the crime committed.

In October 2021, an incident occurred during the rehearsal of a western movie where Alec Baldwin, an actor and co-producer, accidentally fired a Colt 45 revolver. The person responsible for handling the weapons during the filming was present at the time of the incident.

Halyna Hutchins, who worked as a cinematographer, lost her life in an unfortunate incident, while the director, Joel Souza, was wounded.

The verdict for Gutierrez's trial was decided by the jury after a two-week-long hearing, where they listened to testimonies of many witnesses. These included those who saw the incident, experts from FBI who analyzed the evidence, a supplier of ammunition to Rust, and even Mr. Souza. The trial went on for 10 days.

In court, during Gutierrez's sentencing, a message from Ms. Hutchins' mother, Olga Solovey, was recited.

She mentioned that her life got divided into two parts, and the passage of time did not help her to recover from her pain and distress. Rather, it only extended her agony.

Losing a child is an extremely difficult experience that is hard to put into words, according to Ms Solovey, a Ukrainian native.

'You transformed a secure armament into a deadly one.'

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer did not believe a conditional discharge was appropriate for Gutierrez and instead gave Gutierrez the toughest sentence possible. The judge believed that placing Gutierrez in a detention centre would be fitting punishment for his actions and that he did not deserve any leniency.

The judge remarked that during the allocation, he did not hear a clear expression of responsibility from the speaker. Although they expressed remorse by saying sorry, they did not explicitly say that they were sorry for what they did. The judge also pointed out that it was the attorney who had to convey the speaker's regret to the court.

You aren't the type to feel remorse, which is a strong feeling of sorrow due to a guilty conscience over past misdeeds.

According to her statement, Gutierrez has committed a severe and violent crime that involved physical aggression.

The judge stated that the person was responsible for ensuring that weapons were safe and non-lethal. They held the power to transform a harmless weapon into a deadly one, making them a crucial figure in preventing harm.

If it weren't for you, Ms. Hutchins would still be alive, a man would still have his life partner and a young boy would still have his mommy.

The attorneys held Gutierrez responsible for unintentionally carrying real bullets onto the filming location, where it was not allowed, and for neglecting to comply with the fundamental safety measures for weapons.

They requested the judge to give Gutierrez-Reed a prison term of 18 months and classify her as a "serious violent offender" in order to decrease the chance of her receiving a reduced sentence in the future.

However, attorneys representing the weapons supervisor argued that the publicity surrounding her prosecution alongside a high-profile actor has had a lasting and detrimental impact on her mental health. The supervisor has reportedly experienced a great deal of anxiety, fear, and depression as a direct result.

Following the decision, her attorneys made a plea for a fresh trial and demanded her release from incarceration.

What's the latest update on the situation surrounding Baldwin?

Baldwin, who is 66 years old and acted as both the producer and lead actor for the movie, is accused of involuntary manslaughter and will be tried separately on July 10. He has insisted that he did not commit any wrongdoing.

The judge who previously gave Gutierrez-Reed his sentence is the one currently supervising his hearing.

Baldwin was accused of the shooting in January 2023, which was over one year after the incident. However, these charges were eventually dismissed after some time. This was due to the discovery of evidence indicating that the hammer of the revolver may have been altered, which could have enabled it to discharge without the need for the trigger to be pulled.

In January of this year, the famous person was once again accused.

According to Baldwin, he did not trigger the gun, but he did release the hammer and it resulted in the weapon discharging.

The lawyers representing him have submitted a request to dismiss the charges for the second time. Last week, the prosecution countered with a lengthy 32-page statement asserting that the video footage from the star's set proves that he was unable to control his emotions and displayed complete disregard for the impact of his behavior on those in his vicinity.

David Halls, an assistant director, had been charged but he made a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to the crime of careless use of a deadly weapon, for which he was given a suspended sentence of six months.

The shooting of Rust recommenced in Montana in the previous year. Baldwin played his part as the lead character once again. This happened as the late Ms Hutchins' husband was given the position of an executive producer by mutual consent.