Gun supervisor for ‘Rust’ film to be sentenced for deadly taking pictures on set

SANTA FE, N.M. — A film weapons supervisor is going through as much as 18 months in jail for the deadly taking pictures of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie “Rust,” along with her sentencing scheduled for Monday in a New Mexico state courtroom.

Film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury on a cost of involuntary manslaughter within the dying of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for greater than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has pleaded not responsible to an involuntary manslaughter cost and says he pulled again the gun’s hammer, however not the set off, earlier than the gun went off. His trial is scheduled for July earlier than the identical decide, Mary Marlowe Sommer, who oversaw the trial of Gutierrez-Reed.

Gutierrez-Reed may additionally obtain a $5,000 effective.

Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing dwell ammunition onto the set of “Rust” the place it was expressly prohibited and for failing to observe fundamental gun security protocols. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours in reaching its verdict.

Protection attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing — together with a potential conditional discharge that may keep away from additional jail time and depart an adjudication of guilt off her document if sure circumstances are met.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with proof within the “Rust” investigation. She additionally has pleaded not responsible to a separate felony cost that she allegedly carried a gun right into a bar in Santa Fe the place firearms are prohibited.

Protection attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s comparatively younger age “and the devastating impact a felony can have on her life going ahead.”

They are saying the 26-year-old will ceaselessly be affected negatively by intense publicity related along with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from nervousness, concern and melancholy consequently.

Particular prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the decide to impose the utmost jail sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “critical violent offender” to restrict her eligibility for a sentence discount later, describing the defendant’s habits on the set of “Rust” as exceptionally reckless. She stated Gutierrez-Reed has proven a scarcity of regret, citing feedback by Gutierrez-Reed in telephone calls from jail which are monitored by authorities.

“Rust” assistant director and security coordinator Dave Halls final 12 months pleaded no contest to negligent dealing with of a firearm and accomplished a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. “Rust” props grasp Sarah Zachry, who shared some tasks over firearms on the set of “Rust,” signed an settlement with prosecutors to keep away from prosecution in return along with her cooperation.

Written testimonials in favor of leniency included letters from Gutierrez-Reed’s childhood good friend and romantic associate Sean Kridelbaugh, who stated Gutierrez-Reed cries continually out of regret within the taking pictures and that additional incarceration would intrude with efforts to look after a relative with most cancers. Different associates and former colleagues urged the decide to emphasise rehabilitation over punishment within the sentencing.

The pending firearms cost in opposition to Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days earlier than she was employed to work because the armorer on “Rust.” Prosecutors says investigations into the deadly taking pictures led to the invention of a selfie video by which Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, whereas protection attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.