Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed made her first virtual court appearance Friday in connection with the fatal 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Alec Baldwin movie “Rust.”
She was not required to enter a plea, though her attorney said he’ll argue her innocence.
The court allowed Gutierrez Reed to keep a gun for self-defense purposes. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies challenged that ruling because of the “sloppy mishandling of firearms and guns” that led to Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed being charged with involuntary manslaughter last month. Baldwin pleaded not guilty on Thursday.
The 64-year-old actor and producer held the pistol that fired the live round into Hutchins’ chest, killing her and injuring director Joel Souza outside Santa Fe, N.M.
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyer told the court his client has been the target of threats and needs a firearm for protection.
“There is no allegation that she is a danger to anyone having a firearm within her home,” defense attorney Jason Bowles told the court.
Baldwin, however, is not allowed to have a gun while awaiting trial, and he’s also to abstain from alcohol. He is allowed to have contact with witnesses still involved with the Western film, which is slated to continue filming in coming months. Real weapons — like the Filli Pietta long Colt .45 revolver involved in Hutchins’ death — will not be used when production resumes.
Gutierrez Reed, 25, could serve 18 months behind bars if convicted. Her attorney contends the investigation leading to charges was “very flawed.” Bowles faulted local investigators last year for not having “Rust” ammunition tested for DNA to determine who introduced real bullets to the movie set.
Assistant director David Halls is expected to plead guilty for negligence in his handling of the gun he passed to Baldwin, according to prosecutors. Baldwin said he was told he was being handed a “cold gun.”
Baldwin’s attorney called charges against the “The Juror” star a “terrible miscarriage of justice” when they were announced.
The movie star claimed in a 2021 interview with ABC News that he never pulled the trigger on the gun he was holding when Hutchins was killed on Oct. 21, 2021.
“I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them,” he insisted. “Never.”
In August, the FBI reportedly found that the gun responsible for killing the 42-year-old cinematographer would not have discharged had no one pulled its trigger.
Baldwin filed a lawsuit against Gutierrez Reed and Halls in November.
“This tragedy occurred on a movie set — not a gun range, not a battlefield, not a location where even a remote possibility should exist that a gun would contain live ammunition,” that filing said.
Baldwin reached a civil settlement with Hutchins’ family in October after they sued him for wrongful death. The Ukraine native, whose death called attention to how firearms are treated on film sets, was married with a 9-year-old son.
Gutierrez Reed’s attorney hasn’t returned a request for comment.
With News Services
