The first verdict has come down after the fatal shooting on the set of the Rust movie that left cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead. Per Deadline, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday.
“A New Mexico jury has found Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021. The jury decided the defendant was not guilty of evidence tampering,” Deadline writes.
“The panel of seven women and five men returned their verdict in the criminal case after just a couple hours of deliberation today. The trial of the indie Western crew member was two weeks long and saw closing arguments this morning.”
Gutierrez-Reed Named ‘Convenient Scapegoat’
During closing arguments, Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer Jason Bowles insisted that she was not the person who caused Hutchins’ death. He referred to her as a “convenient scapegoat,” while proclaiming her innocence.
“There’s reasonable doubt she had anything to do ultimately with Halyna Hutchins’ death,” Bowles said.
He also passed the blame to the film’s production crew for the incident.
“The buck stops with production… as in any organization, it starts at the top.”
Alec Baldwin Claims Innocence in ‘Rust’ Tragedy
Famed actor Alec Baldwin is also facing criminal charges following the tragedy on the set of Rust in October 2021. The former Saturday Night Live star was the person holding the gun that fired the fatal shot that ultimately killed Hutchins and injured film director Joel Souza.
Prop guns don’t usually have live ammo. But unfortunately, this one did and killed a person. But the actor insists that he did not pull the trigger.
“Baldwin has insisted from almost Day One that he did not pull the trigger on the 1880s gun that killed Hutchins. He says the gun went off in his hand. Following a botched investigation by the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and more recently independent weapons examiners brought aboard by the special prosecutors have taken a different point of view,” Deadline reports.
“Additionally, in violation of standard set safety procedures, Baldwin was pointing the gun right at the unshielded Hutchins when it fired during the rehearsal on the already troubled low-budget film.”