SANTA FE, New Mexico – A movie gunman has received the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison for manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cameraman by Alec Baldwin on the set of a western, as authorities now turn their attention to prosecuting Baldwin himself.
A New Mexico judge on Monday found that Hannah Gutierrez-Reid’s recklessness amounted to a serious crime of violence, while noting little sign of genuine remorse from the defendant since her conviction in March. Prosecutors accuse Gutierrez-Reid of unknowingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and of failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.
Attention now turns to Baldwin’s upcoming trial on manslaughter charges in the October 2021 death of Halina Hutchins at a movie ranch outside Santa Fe.
Baldwin, the film’s lead actor and co-producer, pointed a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun went off, killing her and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty and says he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun fired.
Here are some things to know as the Rust v. Baldwin lawsuit approaches:
THE SENTENCE
On Monday, prosecutors described a “cascade of safety violations” on the set that began with Gutierrez-Reid alone.
At her sentencing, Gutierrez-Reid said she tried to do her best on set despite not having the “appropriate time, resources and staff” and that she was not the monster people made her out to be. presented.
But Judge Mary Marlow Sommer said the maximum sentence was appropriate given Gutierrez-Reid’s recklessness. She said she lacked remorse and rejected lawyers’ request for leniency and parole, which would have avoided further jail time.
The judge ticked off a list of Gutierrez-Reed’s safety lapses, answering his own questions pointedly.
“Did he have enough time to load the weapon safely?” A lot,” the judge said. “Did you load the weapon? Yes — with dummies and a live cartridge. Did she check what she was charging? No.”
HALINA HUTCHINS REMEMBERS
Hutchins, who was 42 when she died, grew up on a remote Soviet military base and worked on documentaries in Eastern Europe before studying film in Los Angeles and embarking on a promising film career.
During the sentencing hearing, friends and family members described Hutchins as brave, tenacious and compassionate.
Courtroom testimony also included calls for justice and punishment that would instill greater accountability for set safety.
Ukrainian relatives of Hutchins are seeking compensation for her death from Baldwin in connection with the shooting. Attorney Gloria Allred represents Hutchins’ parents and sister and says the family supports Baldwin’s prosecution.
“No one has ever come to me to apologize,” Hutchins’ mother, Olga Soloway, said in a tearful video shown at Gutierrez-Reid’s sentencing.
Filming on “Rust” moved to Montana after Hutchins’ death under an agreement with her husband, Matthew Hutchins, making him an executive producer.
BALDWIN ACCUSED
Prosecutors dropped an earlier manslaughter charge against Baldwin after they were told the gun he was holding may have been modified before the shooting and was defective.
A new analysis of the weapon cleared the way for prosecutors to reopen the case. A grand jury indicted Baldwin on the same charge in January. The indictment alleges that Baldwin caused Hutchins’ death — either through negligence or a “gross disregard or indifference” to safety.
If convicted, the charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 18 months.
Baldwin’s defense attorneys are urging the judge to throw out the grand jury indictment, accusing prosecutors of “unfairly stacking the deck” in grand jury proceedings that diverted attention from exculpatory evidence and witnesses.
Special prosecutors deny the allegations and accuse Baldwin of “shameless” attempts to evade blame, highlighting inconsistencies in Baldwin’s statements to law enforcement, workplace safety regulators and the public in a television interview.
An FBI expert testified at Gutierrez-Reed’s trial that the revolver used by Baldwin was fully functional with safety features when it arrived at an FBI lab. The expert said he had to hammer the fully cocked weapon and break it to fire without pulling the trigger.
TALKS FROM PRISON
Defense attorney Jason Bowles said Gutierrez-Reid will appeal the judge’s decision and the sentence against her.
Bowles said at sentencing that “there are multiple systemic failures by multiple people. Some of these people are facing trial. … Some are yet to stand trial. At least one person will go on trial in July.
Gutierrez-Reid was acquitted of one count of tampering with evidence at trial, but still faces another charge in a separate proceeding on allegations she brought a gun into a downtown Santa Fe bar.
At the sentencing, Gutierrez-Reid broke down in tears as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke of the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood.
But Special Prosecutor Carrie Morrissey says she has reviewed nearly 200 phone calls Gutierrez-Reid made from jail over the past month. She said she hoped there would be a moment when the defendant would take responsibility for Hutchins’ death or express genuine remorse, but “that moment never came.”
