Weapons supervisor jailed after cinematographer shot dead on set of Alec Baldwin's Rust film
15 April 2024, 19:19 | Updated: 15 April 2024, 23:54
The weapons supervisor on Alec Baldwin's Rust film has been jailed for 18 months, after another crew member was shot dead.
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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, was sent to prison on Monday after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March following the fatal incident in October 2021.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was hurt.
Gutierrez-Reed had pleaded not guilty, bu was found to have allowed a live bullet to get into the gun through negligence. Baldwin then used the gun to accidentally shoot dead Ms Hutchins and wound director Joel Souza.
She was found guilty of manslaughter but not of evidence tampering, after the jury deliberated for two hours.
Baldwin himself has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter - claiming he pulled back the hammer of the gun but did not pull the trigger when it fired.
He was initially charged in January 2023, but those charges were formally dismissed three months later.
Earlier in January 2024, special prosecutors brought the case before a grand jury in Santa Fe after receiving a new analysis of the gun, and Baldwin was re-charged.
The indictment accuses Baldwin of involuntary manslaughter through negligent use of a firearm, and an alternative charge of involuntary manslaughter "without due caution or circumspection".
The filming of Rust resumed last year in Montana, under an agreement with the cinematographer's widower Matthew Hutchins that made him an executive producer.
Ms Hutchins's family spoke out after Gutierrez-Reed's guilty verdict was delivered in March, calling for "everyone who is responsible for Halyna’s death to be held accountable".
Making a statement through their lawyers, the family said: "Today was the first trial and conviction in the criminal justice process.
"We are satisfied that the jury, based on the evidence, found Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for her part in the taking of Halyna’s life.
"We look forward to the justice system continuing to make sure that everyone else who is responsible for Halyna's death is required to face the legal consequences for their actions."
