'Rust' Trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Showed an Appalling Lack of Gun Safety

Film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Wednesday after fewer than 3 hours of deliberation by the Santa Fe, NM jury. She faces up to 18 months in prison for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot on the set of Rust by Alec Baldwin. Baldwin was holding a Colt .45 given to him by Gutierrez-Reed, who as armorer was responsible for making sure the prop weapons were safe. Charges of tampering with evidence were dismissed; prosecutors had accused Gutierrez-Reed of handing off a bag of cocaine after learning of the shooting.

Gutierrez-Reed tried to shift blame to Baldwin and the chaotic set situation allowed to exist by her superiors. Her defense used a New Mexico OSHA investigation into the shooting that showed the film management team did nothing to curtail the unsafe working conditions, which were partly responsible for much of the crew walking off the set the day before the shooting. The prosecution countered with photos showing actors pointing guns at one another, including minors, and Gutierrez-Reed pointing one at her own face.

Baldwin insists that he pulled the Colt’s hammer back but did not pull the trigger, though thorough and destructive testing by the Arizona Forensic Science Services and the FBI concluded that the gun would not fire without the trigger being depressed. Prosecutors showed film footage of Baldwin inappropriately handling the gun on multiple occasions. He was shown using it as a pointer to gesture at the camera and crew. He rushed the crew between takes and demanded they reload the gun faster. He also fired the gun after the director called cut. His trial is set for July of this year, featuring many of the same lawyers, experts, and witnesses.

Baldwin’s argument, and it’s one backed up by industry professionals, is that it wasn’t his job to make sure the gun was empty. That’s true enough, and it’s why Gutierrez-Reed is now facing up to 18 months in prison. But just because something isn’t your job doesn’t mean it’s not your responsibility. Alec Baldwin wants to deny his participation in Halyna Hutchins’s death as an on-site producer and the man who shot Hutchins. Unfortunately for him, the footage showed how irresponsible he was with a gun in his hand. I’m sure being young, inexperienced, and female played into the lack of respect cast members showed Gutierrez-Reed, but it was her job to be as difficult as necessary to bring them into line rather than play along. Baldwin’s job was to follow the basic rules of gun safety. Treat every gun as if it were loaded. Never point the barrel at anything you don’t want to shoot. Never handle a firearm without making sure it’s empty. Like Gutierrez-Reed — and, unfortunately, like a lot of gun owners, including the defense’s own firearms expert — he failed every step of the way. I believe that by now Alec Baldwin convinced himself he didn’t pull the trigger and accidentally kill Halyna Hutchins. After the video footage, there’s no way I’ll ever be convinced he didn’t.