Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the Rust armorer charged alongside Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter for the dying of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, “will probably be exonerated of wrongdoing,” her attorneys say.
On the heels of the fees being introduced on Thursday, her legal professionals Jason Bowles and Todd J. Bullion launched a press release on her behalf to Yahoo, saying “Hannah is, and has all the time been, very emotional and unhappy about this tragic accident. However she didn’t commit involuntary manslaughter. These costs are the results of a really flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the complete details. We intend to carry the complete fact to gentle and consider Hannah will probably be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury.”
Shortly earlier than, New Mexico prosecutors introduced Gutierrez-Reed, who was in control of the weapons on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set exterior Santa Fe, and Baldwin, who had the gun when it went off, each will probably be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter associated to the October 21, 2021 incident. The costs will probably be formally filed by New Mexico First Judicial District Legal professional Mary Carmack-Altwies earlier than the top of the month.
Assistant director David Halls, who was reportedly the go-between, taking the gun from Gutierrez-Reed and handing it to Baldwin, agreed to plead responsible to negligent use of a lethal weapon. The phrases embrace a suspended sentence and 6 months of probation.
“After an intensive overview of the proof and the legal guidelines of the state of New Mexico, I’ve decided that there’s adequate proof to file felony costs in opposition to Alec Baldwin and different members of the Rust movie crew,” Carmack-Altwies stated in a press release. “On my watch, nobody is above the regulation, and everybody deserves justice.”
Carmack-Altwies stated that Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin will probably be “charged within the different” with the 2 counts of manslaughter, that means a jury will determine not provided that they’re responsible, however below which definition of involuntary manslaughter they’re responsible. It is defined right here within the assertion:
The primary cost could be referred to easily as involuntary manslaughter. For this cost to be proved there should be underlying negligence. Beneath New Mexico regulation, involuntary manslaughter is a fourth-degree felony and is punishable by as much as 18 months in jail and a $5,000 advantageous. This cost additionally consists of the misdemeanor cost of negligent use of a firearm, which might probably merge as a matter of regulation.
The opposite cost is involuntary manslaughter within the fee of a lawful act. This cost requires proof that there was greater than easy negligence concerned in a dying. That is additionally a fourth-degree felony punishable by as much as 18 months in jail and as much as a $5,000 advantageous. This cost features a firearm enhancement, or added obligatory penalty, as a result of a firearm was concerned. The firearm enhancement makes the crime punishable by a compulsory 5 years in jail.
Andrea Reeb, the particular prosecutor appointed by the D.A. to the case, added that, “If any one among these three individuals — Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed or David Halls — had completed their job, Halyna Hutchins could be alive at the moment. It is that easy. The proof clearly exhibits a sample of felony disregard for security on the Rust movie set. In New Mexico, there isn’t a room for movie units that do not take our state’s dedication to gun security and public security significantly.”
Hutchins was killed whereas Baldwin rehearsed in a church set with a .45 Colt revolver. He has stated that Hutchins informed him to follow with the gun as she arrange the shot. He claimed he was beforehand informed by Halls that it was a “chilly” gun with no stay rounds. He stated he pulled again the hammer, not capturing it, and when he let go, the gun went off. The gun occurred to be loaded with stay ammunition as a substitute of dummy rounds or blanks, that are used on units. The stay spherical struck Hutchins, exited her physique, after which hit director Joel Souza. Hutchins died after being airlifted to the hospital. Souza, who was not critically injured, recovered. (No costs will probably be filed within the capturing of Souza, the district legal professional’s workplace stated.)
Gutierrez-Reed, simply 24 on the time of the deadly accident, is the daughter of longtime Hollywood armorer Thell Reed. She’s stated she had “no concept the place the stay rounds got here from,” pointing a finger on the ammunition provider, Seth Kenney and his firm PDQ Arm & Prop, whom she filed a lawsuit in opposition to final yr. (Kenney has stated he was certain his firm didn’t ship stay rounds to the set.)
Gutierrez-Reed, whose lack of expertise has been in query, stated the low-budget movie, for which Baldwin was additionally a producer, was “unsafe,” however not due to her. She stated she “fought for coaching, days to take care of weapons, and correct time to arrange for gunfire however in the end was overruled by manufacturing and her division.” She slammed Baldwin, saying he knew to “by no means level a firearm at crew members below any circumstances. But he did level the gun at Halyna earlier than the deadly incident in opposition to all guidelines and customary sense.” She additionally stated he and others on the set “had an obligation and accountability to name [her] in for inspection of the gun and security instruction earlier than any gun scene was carried out.” However she “was not referred to as into the church earlier than the impromptu gun scene rehearsal and she or he ought to have been.”
Gutierrez-Reed additionally stated she was “employed on two positions on this movie” — as an armorer and a prop assistant — making it “extraordinarily tough to give attention to her job as an armorer.”
Baldwin, who beforehand stated he did not anticipate to be charged amid his personal personal investigation findings, hasn’t commented straight on the fees. However his legal professional Luke Nikas stated in a press release on Thursday: “This choice distorts Halyna Hutchins’ tragic dying and represents a horrible miscarriage of justice. Mr. Baldwin had no cause to consider there was a stay bullet within the gun — or anyplace on the film set. He relied on the professionals with whom he labored, who assured him the gun didn’t have stay rounds. We’ll combat these costs, and we are going to win.”