This morning, jury selection is set to begin in the trial of the armorer for the movie involved in the deadly shooting on set more than two years ago. The armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors are expected to argue that it was her responsibility that live ammunition ended up in a prop gun that actor Alec Baldwin was holding, resulting in the death of cinematographer Helena Hutchins.
Following the fatal shooting on October 21st, 2021, Gutierrez-Reed is now facing trial, charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in the death of Helena Hutchins on the set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. The film's director, Joel Souza, was also wounded in the incident, shot in the shoulder by the same bullet that killed Hutchins.
The trial is anticipated to focus on the alleged lax safety protocols on the set, with Gutierrez-Reed's attorney claiming that his client is being unfairly prosecuted. The central question remains: how did live ammunition make its way onto the set of 'Rust' and into Baldwin's prop gun on the day of the shooting?
According to investigators, six live rounds of ammunition were found in various locations on the set, mixed with dummy rounds. New Mexico workplace safety regulations hold the armorer responsible for the storage, maintenance, handling of firearms, and loading of firearms on the set.
Baldwin, one of the film's producers, is also facing an involuntary manslaughter charge and has pleaded not guilty. He maintains that he never pulled the trigger and blames both Gutierrez-Reed and the assistant director for the shooting. The FBI crime lab determined that the weapon could not accidentally fire, indicating that the trigger had to be depressed intentionally for the live round to be fired.
