'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed found guilty of involuntary manslaughter

A jury has found "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 death of 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot when Alec Baldwin's gun went off during rehearsals for the Western film.

The trial, which began in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Feb. 23 and saw various witness and expert testimony, concluded Wednesday with closing arguments from the prosecution and the defense. Several hours later, the jury handed down the verdict.

Gutierrez-Reed, 26, was ordered to be taken into custody by deputies immediately after the verdict was read in the court. Lead defense attorney Jason Bowles told USA TODAY in an emailed statement Wednesday night that Gutierrez-Reed will appeal the conviction.

The armorer's involuntary manslaughter charge carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Gutierrez-Reed will be sentenced at a later date.

Jurors found Gutierrez-Reed not guilty on a second charge of tampering with evidence, stemming from accusations that she handed a small bag of possible narcotics to another crew member after the shooting to avoid detection.

Following the verdict, attorney Gloria Allred provided a statement to USA TODAY Wednesday on behalf of Hutchins' parents and sister. The statement said the cinematographer's family was "satisfied" with Gutierrez-Reed's conviction.

"Halyna’s parents and her sister have always wanted everyone who is responsible for Halyna’s death to be held accountable," the emailed statement read. "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."

What led up to Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's guilty conviction

In an opening statement on Feb. 22, prosecutor Jason Lewis accused Gutierrez-Reed of engaging in "unprofessional and sloppy" conduct on the "Rust" set. Before handing the gun to Baldwin, she "needed to do a much more complete check" than she did to ensure it did not contain live rounds, he argued.

Defense attorney Bowles, meanwhile, placed blame on the film's production for the "chaotic" set. In an opening statement, he argued that producers, including Alec Baldwin, did not follow basic safety rules, while Gutierrez-Reed did the "best job she could under very, very tough circumstances."

He also argued that the film production is seeking to "blame it all on Hannah" because she's an "easy target."

Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins during rehearsals in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin, also a producer on the film, claimed the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger.

Gutierrez-Reed's attorney told jurors that no one in the cast and crew thought there were live rounds on set and Gutierrez-Reed could not have foreseen that Baldwin would "go off-script" when he pointed the revolver at Hutchins. Investigators found no video recordings of the shooting.

"It was not in the script for Mr. Baldwin to point the weapon," Bowles said. "She didn’t know that Mr. Baldwin was going to do what he did."

During Gutierrez-Reed's trial, Souza testified on March 1 that the impact "felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to my shoulder."

He said the day began with Hutchins hurriedly lining up replacements with the six camera crew members who had walked off the set. As they prepped for a close-up of Baldwin drawing a gun from a holster, "there was an incredibly loud bang," said Souza, who described it as "deafening."

Everything you need to know: What happened during Gutierrez-Reed's 'Rust' trial

What we know about Alec Baldwin's trial

The jury selection and trial date have been set in Baldwin's New Mexico shooting case, in which he faces one charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

The trial is scheduled to take place between July 10-19, judge Mary L. Marlowe Sommer wrote in her scheduling order, filed Feb. 26. Jury selection will begin July 9.

In January, Baldwin was again indicted nine months after special prosecutors dismissed an earlier involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor while noting that an investigation into the case remained "active and on-going."

He pleaded not guilty to the charge Jan. 31 and remains free on his own recognizance. The actor faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' trial: Actor will be tried for involuntary manslaughter in July

Contributing: Morgan Lee, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Rust' armorer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter