'Rust' armorer convicted in fatal on-set shooting death is released from prison

Yahoo

24-05-2025

The film armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" has been released from prison.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for firearms used on set when a prop revolver actor Alec Baldwin was holding fired a live round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Gutierrez-Reed was released Friday morning, a New Mexico Corrections Department spokesperson said.
She was released in Arizona, to a region near the Nevada and California borders, with dual supervision under probation and parole authorities to take place concurrently, spokesperson Brittany Roembach said. She will be on parole in the manslaughter case for a year, the spokersperson said.
A separate and previous case in which Gutierrez-Reed was accused of unlawfully carrying a firearm in a licensed liquor establishment has resulted in 18 months of probation, Roembach said.
In March 2024, a New Mexico jury found Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty of tampering with evidence. She was 26 at the time.
The following month, Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to the maximum penalty of 18 months in prison. She was held at Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants, New Mexico.
Because of state credit for time served, women in state prisons in New Mexico generally serve a little less than 60% of their sentences on average, according to the state's sentencing commission.
However, Gutierrez-Reed was required to serve at least 85% of her sentence, Roembach said. In New Mexico, those convicted of a "serious violent offense" have this requirement. Involuntary manslaughter is not considered a serious violent offense in all cases, but some, like the armorer's, have drawn that 85% threshold based on circumstances.
Elements that trimmed Gutierrez-Reed's time included four days credit each month for good behavior; 60 days credit for completing two phases of a residential addiction program; and 40 days of pre-sentence credit, the corrections spokesperson said.
Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the Western at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, when the prop gun fired.
The armorer pleaded not guilty and fought the case in court, sometimes through tears as special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey told the jury that Gutierrez-Reed 'was negligent, she was careless, she was thoughtless.'
"Rust" director Joel Souza, who was also injured during the incident, said Gutierrez-Reed presided over a number of "failures" with the handling and storage of firearms and blanks on set.
She is the daughter of Hollywood armorer Thell Reed.
The movie was released earlier this month, more than years after the fatal shooting, which stopped production.
The Western drama stars and was produced by Baldwin.
New Mexico prosecutors twice charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter. The first time, the charges were dropped in April 2023. The second time, a judge dismissed the case with prejudice, saying prosecutors hid evidence that may have been linked to the shooting.
Baldwin, who had pleaded not guilty, cried in court when the dismissal was announced.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com