Prior to
The fatal shooting occurred on October 21, 2021, on the set of the Western film Rust at Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico.
Actor Alec Baldwin (65) was rehearsing a scene and had to take his revolver out of its holster and point it forward. When he did so just before 2 p.m., a bullet struck 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest and director Joel Souza (50) in the shoulder. Hutchins died around 3:30 p.m. Souza was taken to hospital with injuries.
Alec Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter. He denies pulling the trigger and pleads not guilty. It is still unclear when his trial will start.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (26), responsible for the weapons on the set, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She also pleads not guilty and her case is currently being heard.
Who is responsible for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins? She died after a shooting incident on the set of the film Rust. During this first trial over the shooting incident, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, responsible for the weapons, is on trial. She is charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.
Both the prosecution and defense agree: the shooting incident that led to Hutchins’ death was the result of negligence. But negligence on whose part?
New Mexico prosecutor Jason Lewis argued during his opening argument that Gutierrez-Reed was negligent because six real bullets landed on the set. The then 24-year-old did not notice those bullets because, according to Lewis, she had not carried out the necessary safety checks. “The evidence you will hear at this trial is that the defendant was unprofessional and that she failed to perform the essential safety functions of her job. These errors led to live ammunition being spread throughout the set,” he said. “Once the ammunition was on set, she failed to detect it because she did not follow essential safety protocols that required her to inspect each bullet before placing it in the gun.”
“You will hear testimony that she regularly left guns and ammunition lying around the set unattended and that her gun safe and ammunition cart were constantly disorganized,” he added. (Read more below the photo)
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has to answer for her role on the set of Rust in the next two weeks. — © AP
“Easy target”
Gutierrez-Reed’s defense then places the blame on Baldwin and the rest of the production team. The actor did not comply with gun safety rules, according to attorney Jason Bowles. “Actor Alec Baldwin pointed a gun at that set and he either had his finger on the trigger and the cock cocked or he pulled the trigger,” the attorney said.
The production team in turn caused chaos and an unsafe working environment. “If the state is talking about negligence on the part of Ms. Gutierrez-Reed, then the production was negligent,” he said. “Production put her in that position. They made her have two functions: a props assistant and an armaments assistant. And they expected a 24-year-old to be able to keep an eye on everything under difficult circumstances.”
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“She’s an easy target,” Bowles added, “the least powerful person on that set. An easy scapegoat.”
The gun fired on the Rust film set. — © AP
“Cold gun”
Gutierrez-Reed is not believed to have been near the scene at the time of the incident. She had just handed over the gun to assistant director David Halls. But he was not allowed to handle weapons at all, according to prosecutors. According to them, the fact that Gutierrez-Reed left the scene and simply left the weapon behind is another violation. Before the incident, Halls is said to have shouted “cold gun”, meaning there were no real bullets in the gun.
READ ALSO. First conviction in case surrounding fatal shooting incident on film set ‘Rust’
Halls will not stand trial because he reached an agreement with the judiciary in 2023. He pleaded “no contest” to negligent use of a deadly weapon, meaning he did not plead guilty but also did not deny or dispute the facts. He was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence of six months and a fine of 500 euros. He must also take a safety course, complete 24 hours of community service and must not use alcohol or drugs.
Gutierrez-Reed’s trial is estimated to last about two weeks. It is still unclear whether Alec Baldwin and David Halls will testify.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins did not survive the shooting incident. — © AFP