Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer who was convicted of the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Alec Baldwin’s movie Rust, is officially a free woman. Indeed, she has walked free from prison after serving the bulk of her sentence.
Gutierrez-Reed Walks Free
In March of 2024, Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her role in Hutchins death. On the set of Rust in October of 2021, a prop gun that Baldwin was holding discharged a live round. Hutchins was killed, and director Joel Souza was injured.
A jury acquitted Gutierrez-Reed of allegations that she tampered with evidence in the Rust investigation. She still has an appeal of the conviction pending in a higher court.
On Friday, Gutierrez-Reed was released from the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility after serving 13 months of her 18-month sentence. She will now be on parole as she heads back to her home in Bullhead City, Arizona. Gutierrez-Reed must have no contact with Hutchins’ family, and she must abide by a curfew.
The terms of Gutierrez-Reed’s parole include mental health assessments and a prohibition on firearms ownership and possession. She is also on probation after pleading guilty to a separate charge of unlawfully carrying a gun into a licensed liquor establishment. Weeks before Rust began filming, Gutierrez-Reed brought a gun into a downtown Santa Fe bar, where firearms are prohibited.
In convicting Gutierrez-Reed, prosecutors claimed that she had unwittingly brought live ammunition onto the set of Rust. They also alleged that she failed to follow basic gun safety protocols.
Prosecutors Charged Baldwin Too
Prosecutors initially went after Baldwin as well. After all, he was the one holding the gun that ultimately killed Hutchins.
Prosecutors charged Baldwin, 67, with involuntary manslaughter. In July of last year, however, his case was dismissed mid-trial. This came after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer found that the prosecution had withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense.
Judge Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice. This means that Baldwin can’t be charged again.
Baldwin couldn’t help but burst into tears when the judge dismissed his case. A source told People Magazine at the time that Baldwin and his wife Hilaria, 41, were “relieved that it’s over.”
“It’s been a sad situation, and there is no winning here. They didn’t celebrate,” the source explained. “They were very worried and are grateful now that they are able to spend the rest of the summer with their kids.”
Baldwin and his wife have since gone on to star in the TLC reality television series The Baldwins with their seven young children.
Rust Is Completed And Released
Despite Hutchins’ death, Baldwin still completed Rust. The movie had its world premiere in Poland in November of 2024. Rust finally hit theaters in the states on May 2. It’s now available to stream on Apple TV, Prime Video and other video-on-demand platforms.
“There are people out there who have very strong feelings that we shouldn’t have done it [finished Rust],” the film’s director Souza told The Hollywood Reporter in October of last year. “I’m not going to try to change their minds. Just understand that we are here because we want to honor her. We want to showcase her work. We want it not to just disappear.”
Check out a trailer for Rust below.
Related: Alec Baldwin Appears In First Footage From ‘Rust’ As Trailer Is Finally Released
Gutierrez-Reed has yet to speak out publicly since her release. Many feel that she should not have been the only person to be punished by the law regarding Hutchins’ death. Unfortunately for these people, it seems that Gutierrez-Reed will indeed be the sole individual to ever serve prison time for the death of Halyna Hutchins.
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