Hannah Gutierrez, the weapons handler in the ill-fated Alec Baldwin western movie “Rust,” just got out of the slammer after doing 14 months for her conviction last year of involuntary manslaughter. She was released Friday from a New Mexico women’s prison after serving time for the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. Gutierrez was one of three people charged in Hutchins’ death on the movie set south of Santa Fe, N.M., but the only one who got a felony conviction. The jury found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death following a dramatic two-week trial last year in Santa Fe. New Mexico prosecutors blamed the Arizona woman for reckless handling of firearms and ammunition in violation of gun safety rules. The special prosecutor also argued that Gutierrez had unwittingly brought the live bullets with her to the popular western film location, Bonanza Creek Ranch, and mixed them with inert “dummy” bullets used on film sets. Gutierrez denies that allegation, though there wasn’t any solid evidence presented about the origins of the live bullets.
Alec Baldwin, who pointed the gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal, also faced charges. He pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the shooting that took the life of the 42-year-old cinematographer and injured the film’s director, Joel Souza. The New Mexico judge overseeing the “Rust” criminal cases, New Mexico 1st Judicial District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, dropped the charge against Baldwin three days into his high-profile trial last July. Marlowe Sommer found that the prosecutor and Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies had hidden evidence from Baldwin’s legal team, which she said influenced the case against Baldwin. At that time, the actor-producer’s team was looking into whether prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies messed up the investigation into how the bullets made their way onto the set. Assistant director David Halls also got charged in the shooting. Halls pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon and got a suspended six-month sentence, which ended in October 2023. Halls, who has since retired from the industry, agreed to pay a $500 fine, attend a firearms safety class, stay away from drugs or alcohol, and complete 24 hours of community service. Gutierrez got the harshest sentence for her role and was released on parole. She’s also under probation after pleading guilty to a separate charge of unlawfully carrying a gun into a Santa Fe bar that banned firearms a few days before the fatal shooting. Terms of her parole include mental health assessments and a ban on firearms possession. Gutierrez, through her attorney, turned down an interview request Sunday.
With Gutierrez’s release, the criminal phase of the “Rust” saga has come to an end. Several civil lawsuits against Baldwin and the producers, including from Hutchins’ family members, are still hanging in the air. Baldwin and other actors and crew members wrapped up filming in Montana, 18 months after the fatal shooting in New Mexico. The movie finally hit the screens in the U.S. this month, just on a handful of screens. The shooting in October 2021 put a spotlight on film set safety, especially on low-budget productions. “Rust” faced a lot of issues, including claims of safety violations and hiring inexperienced crew members like Gutierrez. “Rust” was only her second gig as head armorer, and she was also handling the job of prop assistant. Just before the fatal shooting, “Rust” camera crew members had walked off the job to protest safety concerns and a lack of housing near the film’s set. Crew members had complained about previous accidental gun discharges. Gutierrez is the stepdaughter of well-known Hollywood armorer Thell Reed.
