Global Courant
The weapons expert on the set of the Western film “Rust” likely had a “hangover” when she allegedly shot a live bullet into a gun that later killed a cameraman, prosecutors in new lawsuits allege.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reedthe gunmaker for “Rust,” was charged with involuntary manslaughter after 42-year-old camerawoman Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot in October 2021 by a gun wielded by actor Alec Baldwin.
Prosecutors said in a filing Friday that witnesses will testify that Gutierrez-Reed “drank heavily and smoked marijuana at night while filming ‘Rest’.”
“It is likely that Defendant Gutierrez was hungover when she inserted a live bullet into a gun she knew would one day be used by an actor while filming a shooting scene with other actors and crew members,” the prosecutors alleged.
Friday’s filing was in response to a motion to dismiss Gutierrez-Reed’s involuntary manslaughter charge.
The set of “Rest” at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, NM, in 2021.Jae C. Hong / AP file
Her attorneys filed for dismissal, arguing that the prosecution had personal and political motions and was treating Gutierrez-Reed differently than others in the case.
Prosecutors responded by saying she is “appropriately prosecuted” because as an on-set gunmaker, it was her duty to “ensure the safety of guns.”
“Her reckless failure resulted in the senseless death of another human being,” the filing said. “All Defendant Gutierrez had to do was shake each bullet and make sure it rattled before putting it in the gun — she failed and killed someone.”
The filing said Gutierrez-Reed has a “history of reckless conduct that has resulted in loss of life” and that it was in “the public interest” that she be “held accountable.”
Jason Bowles, an attorney for Gutierrez-Reed, told NBC News Wednesday, “The prosecution has handled this case so badly and the case is so weak that they are now resorting to character assassination tactics to further taint the jury.”
“This investigation and prosecution was not about seeking justice; for them it was about finding a convenient scapegoat,” he added.
The shooting occurred when Baldwin was rehearsing with a gun for a scene and the gun went off at Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico on October 21, 2021. Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured.
It’s still not clear exactly how the live rounds ended up on set.
Baldwin was also charged with involuntary manslaughter after the shooting, but the charges were dismissed in April citing “new facts” during further investigation.
Baldwin, said he didn’t pull the trigger. His lawyers praised the decision to drop the charges, saying they “encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident”.
The prosecution’s indictment stated that the charges against Baldwin were dismissed because “a possible malfunction of the weapon significantly affects the causation with respect to Baldwin, not with respect to Gutierrez.”
“If it is determined that the gun was not defective, charges against Mr. Baldwin will proceed,” the document said, noting that a final indictment decision will come within 60 days of Friday’s filing.
Gutierrez-Reed has a preliminary hearing in August where it will be decided whether there is sufficient cause to proceed, The associated press reported.
