Gutierrez-Reed faces accusations of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence related to the tragic incident that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the production of the Western film "Rust" in October 2021.
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, testimony during Monday's trial became emotionally charged and contentious as a witness recounted the tragic shooting incident in 2021 where actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a movie rehearsal. The witness described instances of gun misfires, crew members leaving the set, and an overly demanding work pace as "ludicrous."
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the forthcoming Western film "Rust," is
facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and 'tampering with evidence' as the trial entered its third day of testimony on Monday.
"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez is standing trial for allegedly bringing the live Colt .45 round on set and failing to detect it due to what prosecutors said was her "sloppy and unprofessional" work Gutierrez told police she loaded it into Baldwin's gun, mistaking it for a dummy round.
Similarly to Baldwin, Gutierrez is confronting an involuntary manslaughter charge. Her legal representatives assert that she is being unfairly targeted for the actor's failure to adhere to firearms safety protocols and for the disorderly conditions of a low-budget production, where industry safety standards were neglected in favor of expediency.
FBI firearms expert Bryce Ziegler provided testimony regarding his examination of a gun held by Baldwin during the shooting incident. According to Ziegler, the revolver and its safety mechanisms were found to be fully operational upon arrival at the FBI laboratory for testing.
"When I received the firearm and conducted an initial function examination, there were no indications of any safety malfunctions," Ziegler stated.
However, Ziegler detailed additional testing, including "accidental discharge testing," prompted by Baldwin's claims that the gun discharged without him pressing the trigger. Ziegler explained that the only way he could replicate such a scenario was by striking the gun with a mallet, a procedure with the potential to damage the firearm, for which he sought permission to proceed.
"The purpose of that test is to determine if the firearm can be made to discharge without direct trigger manipulation," Ziegler clarified.
"In my laboratory testing, the firearm did not discharge without trigger manipulation in the fully-cocked setting, unless it was intentionally damaged," he added.
A New Mexico judge ruled on Monday that actor Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of the Western movie "Rust" is scheduled for July 10.
Should Baldwin's case proceed to trial, it would mark a significant occurrence within Hollywood, as there is minimal precedent for actors being criminally accountable for on-set shootings. Notably, charges against Baldwin have been dismissed once before.
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