Prosecutors seek maximum penalty for ‘Rust’ armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed after prop gun death
New Mexico prosecutors are seeking the maximum penalty for the Rust movie armourer whose actions led to the death of a cinematographer on the Western set in 2021.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March in connection with the death of Halyna Hutchins. She was killed after a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin during filming fired a live round of ammunition.
Hutchins was struck by a bullet to the chest and Joel Souza, the director, was hit in the stomach. Mr Souza survived his injuries but Hutchins did not.
Prosecutors in Santa Fe are asking that the woman spend 18 months behind bars, the longest sentence possible for the charges, according to court documents filed on Friday and obtained by CNN.
The woman has demonstrated a “complete and total failure to accept responsibility for her actions”, prosecutors wrote in the filings.
In calls from jail, Gutierrez-Reed has blamed the woman’s death on the medic and paramedics on set. She also claimed that the judge and special prosecutor’s office have been conspiring against her and called jurors derogatory names, the outlet reported.
Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for fire safety and storage on the set of the movie. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday. She’s also expected to pay a $5,000 fine as part of the sentence.
During her two-week trial, prosecutors said that the woman “repeatedly” failed to maintain proper firearm safety, resulting in negligence that led to Hutchins’ death. Colleagues called the woman “sloppy” and “unprofessional”.
Additionally, Gutierrez-Reed routinely left firearms and ammunition lying around the set, prosecutors said.
Baldwin is also facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in the woman’s death. He pleaded not guilty in January. Prosecutors also say his actions led to “safety compromises”. Attorneys for the armourer previously said that she was being used as an “easy target” for the production to put blame on and as a scapegoat for Baldwin.
Her attorneys have requested that she be sentenced to probation, citing her lack of a criminal record.
The jury in the case previously acquitted her of a tampering with evidence charge. She’s facing a separate charge of unlawful carrying of a firearm in a licensed liquor establishment which is unrelated to the shooting.
Gutierrez-Reed is currently being held at Santa Fe county Adult Detention Facility, where she’s been since 6 March. She’s the first person to be put on trial for the Rust incident.
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