Rust Armorer Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for 2021 Shooting

Gabrielle Chung
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Originally appeared on E! Online

Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's prison sentence has been determined.

On April 15, the 26-year-old was ordered to spend 18 months at a New Mexico correctional facility after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, according to NBC News.

"I find that what you did constitutes a serious violent offense," the judge told Gutierrez-Reed during the sentencing, per the outlet. "It was committed in a physically violent manner, a fatal gunshot done with your recklessness in the face of knowledge that your acts are reasonably likely to result in serious harm."

The judge continued, "You were the armorer, the one that stood between a safe weapon and a weapon that could kill someone. You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon."

This sentencing comes after a jury found Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty of tampering with evidence last month. Her attorney Jason Bowles told E! News at the time that they plan to appeal.

Hutchins, 42, was fatally wounded on the set of Rust in October 2021, when a live round was discharged from a prop gun in actor Alec Baldwin's hand. The film's director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident, though he made a recovery.

Celebrity Deaths: 2024's Fallen Stars

More from E! Online

Baldwin, 65, and Gutierrez-Reed were formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023 in connection to Hutchins' death. However, the 30 Rock alum scored a legal victory in April, when his charge was dropped after his defense team accused prosecutors of adding a firearm-enhancement statute to his case that did not exist at the time of Hutchins' death, which would've extended his possible prison sentence if convicted.

But nine months later, Baldwin found himself facing charges again after a New Mexico Grand Jury decided to indict him on one count of involuntary manslaughter in connection to Hutchins' fatal shooting. Regarding his latest indictment, Baldwin's attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro told E! News in January, "We look forward to our day in court."

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to the charge. His trial is scheduled to begin in July.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed
Luis Sánchez Saturno - Pool/Getty Images

For his part, the It's Complicated actor has denied any wrongdoing in Hutchins' death.

"The trigger wasn't pulled," he said in a 2021 interview with ABC News. "I didn't pull the trigger."

Baldwin also said he had "no idea" how a live round got on the set of Rust, alleging that "someone put a live bullet in a gun."

"I don't know what happened on that set," he said. "I don't know how that bullet arrived in that gun."

Alec Baldwin
John Lamparski/Getty Images

Baldwin returned to the Rust set last spring to finish filming the movie. When production wrapped in May, the Departed star described the project as "nothing less than a miracle."

"It's been a long and difficult road," he wrote on Instagram. "But we reach the end of the trail today."

E! News has reached out to Gutierrez-Reed's attorney for comment about her sentencing but hasn't heard back.

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App