‘Rust’ Weapons Supervisor Will Serve 18 Months in Prison

The aftermath of the tragic incident on the set of the film ‘Rust’ continues to unfold, as the weapons supervisor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars.

The events leading to this sentencing occurred on 21st October 2021, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins tragically lost her life and director Joel Souza was injured by a live round discharged from a prop revolver held by Alec Baldwin. Gutierrez-Reed, who served as the armourer on the film, faced charges of involuntary manslaughter, to which she pleaded not guilty.

Also Read: All You Need to Know About The ‘Rust’ Shooting Incident And Alec Baldwin’s Trial

Despite her plea, a jury found her guilty in March, though acquitted her of tampering with evidence. Baldwin, who faces similar charges, maintains his innocence and is set to stand trial in July. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, in delivering the sentence, remarked that Gutierrez-Reed had displayed no remorse, hence the imposition of the maximum penalty for the offence.

“You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon,” the judge asserted. “But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner and a little boy would have his mother.”

The emotional impact of Hutchins’ untimely death reverberated in the courtroom, as her mother, Olga Solovey and sister, Svetlana Zemko, provided pre-recorded statements from Ukraine, where they reside. Speaking in Ukrainian, Solovey expressed the profound loss caused by her daughter’s death, stating, “The day of her death ruined my entire life. It’s heart-wrenching to see her child grow without his mother.”

In a prepared statement, Gutierrez-Reed conveyed her condolences to the Hutchins family, lamenting the portrayal of the tragedy by the media. “When I took on ‘Rust,’ I was young and naive,” she said. “Despite not having proper time, resources and staffing, when things got tough, I just did my best to handle it… I beg you please don’t give me more time. The jury found me in part at fault for this god-awful tragedy. But that doesn’t make me a monster. That makes me human.”

Gutierrez-Reed intends to appeal the sentence, asserting her belief in the fairness of the judicial process. Earlier, SAG-AFTRA defended Baldwin’s role in the incident, stating, “An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert… Performers train to perform and they are not required or expected to be experts on guns or experienced in their use.”