'Rust' armorer found guilty in shooting

A jury on Wednesday found “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin, but acquitted her on charges of tampering with evidence.

She was immediately remanded to custody pending sentencing.

Gutierrez-Reed was tasked with ensuring firearm safety and storage on the set of the Western, starring Baldwin, when she handed the actor a prop gun that contained live ammunition. Baldwin fired, striking and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and wounding director Joel Souza as well.

In connection with the shooting, Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury in January, also for involuntary manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty and is slated for trial in July.

During Gutierrez-Reed’s two-week trial, prosecutors said the then-24-year-old had unknowingly brought live ammunition onto the set while being lax at following basic gun-safety guidelines that were industry standard.

Wednesday’s verdict shifts blame for Hutchins’ death in the wake of assistant director David Halls’ no-contest plea last year. He served six months of probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor negligent use of a deadly weapon for declaring the gun “cold” before handing it to Baldwin.

It was not clear how live ammunition had made it onto the set, and Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys had argued she was being made a scapegoat.