Rust: A look at the explosive trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faced two counts. Involuntary manslaughter related to the death of Halyna Hutchins, in addition to being charged with tampering with evidence.

On October 23, 2021, during a rehearsal for the low-budget western film Rust, a gun actor Alec Baldwin was using was accidentally discharged as he took it out of its holster to aim into the camera frame. Baldwin was aiming at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died as a result of the incident, and also wounded Joel Souza, the film’s director.

The work of the gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, daughter of a renowned Hollywood gunsmith, was heavily criticized and scrutinized during the ten-day trial in the Santa Fe District Court in New Mexico.

Testimonies and videos reveal the pressure put on the young gunsmith by actor and co-producer Alec Baldwin to load guns faster. Her gun cart was unattended, without a secure container and padlocked, exposed to all.

The lawsuit reveals that the gunsmith was denied an extra day of gun safety training by production, including for an underage actor and Alec Baldwin. Several experts questioned, with videos to back them up, the irresponsible handling of weapons by the actors, in particular Alec Baldwin.

The trial revealed the discovery of six real bullets on the Rust set, including the one that fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. These bullets were found in various places, such as a box, a shoulder strap and a belt.

Witnesses report disturbing details of accidental discharges that occurred on at least two occasions, a few days before the fatal incident on the film set. One of these discharges was allegedly caused by the props manager, Sarah Zachry.

At Gutierrez-Reed’s trial, some moving testimony was given, including that of director Joel Souza, who was injured in the incident. In his deposition, Souza recounted how he was standing behind Halyna Hutchins to check the camera angle, when suddenly an extremely loud bang sounded. He described the sensation of being hit on the shoulder, as if someone had used a baseball bat. He then described finding himself on the ground next to Halyna Hutchins, who had been seriously injured.

A particularly disturbing scene occurred during the trial, when the defense’s weapons expert clumsily pointed a gun at the judge and jury members, causing anxiety in the courtroom.

In addition to the blatant negligence of the shooting, the question of whether Halyna Hutchins could have been saved was raised during the trial. According to the autopsy report, the team of emergency responders who arrived at the scene of the accident committed two medical errors, incorrectly intubating Halyna in the esophagus on two occasions, depriving her of the vital oxygen that could perhaps have saved her life.

On March 6, the jury members for this trial began their deliberation phase, a crucial moment when they carefully examine the evidence presented during the trial in order to reach a verdict.

Barely two hours later, the jury returned with a guilty verdict. The young woman was guilty of manslaughter, but not of the second count. She is immediately led off to her cell, in front of her horrified mother.

What are the implications of these revelations for Alec Baldwin’s trial scheduled for July?