The trial against Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will move forward, as the judge has decided that she will face two counts of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering stemming from the October 2021 accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
According to the Associated Press, judge Mary Marlowe Sommer told all involved attorneys to be prepared to “stay the course” despite attempts from Gutierrez-Reed’s team to have the charges dismissed. Gutierrez-Reed, as it is, is the only individual set to face charges now for Hutchins’ tragic death. Involuntary manslaughter charges against Rust star Alec Baldwin were dropped back in April, while first assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to negligence related to firearm handling the month prior. The movie resumed filming in the spring, concluding in May. No official release date has been set for the western.
The case against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been mounting in a most dramatic way, as it was unveiled last month that the Rust armorer may have handed off cocaine to another individual after an interview with police. Reports also came in that she may have been intoxicated during the time of the fatal shooting, with prosecutors claiming she “was hung over when she inserted a live bullet into a gun that she knew was going to be used at some point by an actor while filming a shooting scene with other actors and crew members…Her reckless failure resulted in the senseless death of another human being…” Gutierrez-Reed’s hearing is set for August 9th.
Whatever the decision is in the case against armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, it’s important to remember that a life was lost that day and that Rust should stand as a case study on the necessity for proper handling and management of on-set weaponry.
Rust has the following plot: “A 13-year-old boy, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, is taken on a violent, harrowing journey to old Mexico by his long estranged grandfather after he’s sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.”
What do you think the outcome of the trial with Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be? Can the movie ever stand on its own without the death of Hutchins? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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