Angels:

An armorer who loaded his gun to kill a cinematographer on the set of Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” was found guilty of manslaughter on Wednesday.

A New Mexico jury took just over two hours to convict Hannah Gutierrez of the death of Halina Hutchins in October 2021 while filming a western.

The 10-day trial revealed how Gutierrez was ultimately held responsible for using live ammunition on set – a red line across the industry.

The court also heard how she repeatedly failed to follow basic safety rules, leaving her firearm unattended and allowing actors, including Baldwin, to brandish weapons.

“This was not a mistake that Hannah Gutierrez made, which was accidentally putting live ammunition into that gun,” prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the jury during closing arguments Wednesday. “

“This case involves ongoing, never-ending safety failures that resulted in the death of one person and nearly resulted in the death of another.”

Hutchins was shot by a live round fired from a Colt .45 pistol held by Baldwin while filming a scene inside a wooden church in New Mexico. Director Joel Souza was also wounded by the same bullet.

Baldwin has repeatedly denied responsibility, insisting he did not pull the trigger.

Ballistics experts dismissed that claim, saying the gun could not have been fired any other way.

He is expected to stand trial on a manslaughter charge in July.

The tragedy shocked Hollywood and sparked calls for a complete ban on weapons on film sets.

However, industry insiders insist that rules are in place to prevent such incidents from happening and that those developing “Rust” are not following them.

“Russian Roulette”

Morrissey said that on the day Hutchins was shot, the armorer, also known as Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, showed a consistent casualness in supervising the more than 20 guns used by the crew, and that Baldwin She was not present when the crew prepared the firearms. Scenes.

“She left the gun in the church, which violated all industry standards for armorers on film sets,” Morrissey said.

“As you’ve heard from many witnesses, she always left her gun unattended. There was nothing unusual about October 21, the day of the fatal shooting.”

Hutchins, who was 42 when she died and was a mother of young children, was standing near the camera used to capture the scene.

The bullet passed through her chest and hit Souza, the director.

Hutchins was airlifted to a hospital, but was pronounced dead that day due to massive blood loss.

Investigators found a total of six live rounds on the set.

Morrissey said Gutierrez failed to perform basic checks to ensure the fake bullets she believed were loaded into the guns were inert, including shaking them to hear their characteristic rattle.

“Folks, if she doesn’t check the dummy ammunition … to make sure that those bullets … are actually dummy bullets, then every time the actor holds a gun, it’s a game of Russian roulette,” she told the jury.

Gutierrez, 26, showed no emotion as the verdict was read.

The judge remanded her in custody pending sentencing, which is not expected until next month.

She faces up to 18 months in prison.

The jury found Gutierrez not guilty of a separate evidence tampering charge related to the disposal of cocaine immediately after the shooting.

Dave Halls, the film’s security coordinator and assistant director, handed the loaded gun to Baldwin, who last year agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to six months probation.

Hutchins’ parents welcomed Gutierrez’s sentence.

“We look forward to the justice system continuing to ensure that all those responsible for Halina’s death face the legal consequences of their actions,” they said in a statement released through their Los Angeles attorney.

Filming on “Rust” was paused due to the tragedy, but was completed last year in Montana.

The cinematographer’s widower, Matthew Hutchins, who serves as executive producer, has settled a wrongful-death lawsuit with Rust producers.

The film has yet to set a release date.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)