SANTA FE, N.M. — A New Mexico jury has found “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. After about two and a half hours of deliberations, he was found guilty of manslaughter and acquitted of tampering with evidence on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old faces up to three years in state prison and will be sentenced at a later date. The judge ordered Gutierrez-Reed to be taken into custody and held until sentencing.
Gutierrez-Reed showed little emotion as the jury foreman read the verdict. She removed the necklace before her deputy took her into custody. When her judge ordered her to be held until her sentencing, her mother sat behind her, put her hand on her head, and bent over her.
The criminal trial, which lasted about two weeks, centered on the shooting incident that occurred on the set of the movie “The Last” in 2021. In the shooting, actor Alec Baldwin fired a live round with a prop gun, killing the film's cinematographer, Hailna Hutchins. Manager Joel Souza was also injured by the bullet.
During the prosecution's closing arguments Wednesday, special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey told the jury that Gutierrez-Reed was “negligent, careless and imprudent.”
Morrissey also said that after the shooting, the 27-year-old armorer was “more concerned about his career” than the victims.
But Gutierrez-Reed's attorney, Jason Bowles, said prosecutors have not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for bringing live ammunition onto the set, and said the prosecutors have not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for bringing the live ammunition to the set, which led to the final death of Hutchins. Baldwin was held responsible.
“I categorically say that the cause of her death was Mr. Baldwin's deviation from the script. No one knew there would be live rounds on set. The only action would be to point the weapon at Mr. Gutierrez. did not point the weapon,” Bowles said.
Prosecutors also called Baldwin a “prima donna.”
“Alec Baldwin will be held accountable for his actions in church that day and his failure to maintain gun safety…not today. That will be done by another jury on another day. Thing.”
NBC News has reached out to the actor's legal team for comment. His criminal trial begins in July.
First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwese, who appointed the special prosecutor closely watched in the case, said after the verdict that Hutchins' death was a “tragic and completely avoidable incident.” Ta.
She said in a statement that the prosecutor's “single pursuit was to bring justice to the family and friends of Halina Hutchins and ensure that those responsible for her death are held accountable.”
During the trial, a number of witnesses who were at the scene of the shooting took the stand, including Souza, who described the moment of the shooting and the chaos that followed.
“It didn't make any sense,” Souza said last week. He said he remembers looking up at Gutierrez-Reed after the incident and hearing her repeatedly say, “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Joel.”
Souza described the feeling of being shot as feeling like someone “put a baseball bat to your shoulder.”
But Souza said he did not realize he had been injured by live ammunition, and when medical personnel told him at the hospital, “I couldn't calculate it.”
Dave Halls, the film's safety coordinator who pleaded no contest last year to negligent use of a deadly weapon as part of a plea deal, also took the stand. His testimony was the first time he spoke publicly about what happened that day. An emotional Halls testified that she should have inspected the gun more thoroughly and admitted that she had “inappropriately inspected the firearm.”
Halls also said he did not recall seeing Gutierrez-Reed rotate the entire cylinder to confirm that all the bullets were dummy rounds. Wiping his tears, he said, “I let him pass the safety check.''
In opening statements, Jason Lewis, another special prosecutor in the case, called Gutierrez-Reed's behavior on the set of “The Last” “sloppy” and “unprofessional.”
“We believe that the defendant's negligence and failures led to Ms. Hutchins' death,” he said.
Morrissey and Lewis were appointed special counsel in March 2023 after the previous special counsel resigned.
Bowles asked in court Wednesday that Gutierrez-Reed be allowed to remain free pending sentencing, and Gutierrez-Reed has voluntarily appeared at all hearings and court appearances. said.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer refused and ordered her held.
“The reason I'm remanding you is because you're currently a convicted felon and this amounts to death,” Sommer said. “It's criminal negligence, but it's still a death.”
A sentencing date had not been set before the court adjourned, but Bowles said there was time in April for a verdict.
Dana Griffin and Sumiko Moots reported from Santa Fe, and Chloe Meras reported from New York City.
