Even as the western Rust — which shut down in 2021 following the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins — concluded production last month, more details are emerging from that tragic day. In a new filing, prosecutors are accusing the movie’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, of potentially being hungover when the incident occurred.
As per prosecutors regarding the Rust shooting, “It is likely that Defendant Gutierrez 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.” It continues, “Her reckless failure resulted in the senseless death of another human being…All Defendant Gutierrez needed to do was shake every bullet and make sure it rattled before putting it in the gun — she failed and killed someone.”
This claim stems from Hannah Gutierrez-Reed allegedly having a habit of “drinking heavily and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the shooting of Rust,” something prosecutors are expecting witnesses to testify when they take the stand over the shooting. But her attorneys were quick to fire back, saying, “The prosecution has so mishandled this case and the case is so weak that they are now resorting to character assassination tactics to further taint the jury pool.”
Ever since Rust resumed filming in April, the production had taken extra steps to ensure it is as safe of a set as possible, adding extra safety officers. Although charges against Rust star Alec Baldwin were dropped, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the shooting. Halyna Hutchins was replaced by Bianca Cline, while Hutchins’ husband has stepped in as an executive producer.
The death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust has sparked a number of debates regarding firearm safety on movie sets. It also conjured up memories of Brandon Lee, who was accidentally shot and killed while filming The Crow.
Do you think Rust will ever be able to outrun the on-set shooting accident? Let us know what you think will come of the movie’s reputation.