Rust Armorer Wants Alec Baldwin Jailed, Court Document Says

(RepublicanView.org) – The armorer for the film Rust, during which a person was fatally shot on set, allegedly said she hopes actor Alec Baldwin is jailed over the incident. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who loaded a prop gun with live ammunition and caused the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, was jailed for involuntary manslaughter earlier this year and was described in a court document as having made the remarks during a recorded prison phone call.

Gutierrez-Reed also reportedly made derogatory comments about the jurors at her trial and prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey. She also said she would not appear as a witness in Baldwin’s trial, as his lawyers intend.

Prosecutors said the armorer’s remarks revealed a “total failure to accept responsibility.” Her attorney, Jason Bowles, said, however, that it is unfair to judge his client based on comments made amid the stresses of a prison environment.

When initially named as a witness by the actor’s attorneys, Gutierrez-Reed invoked Fifth Amendment rights, saying she would not incriminate herself for the sake of her appeal.

The incident happened in New Mexico in 2021 when Alec Baldwin fired a revolver during a set rehearsal. The gun unexpectedly contained live ammunition and killed Hutchins, as well as injuring director Joel Souza.

It later emerged that staffers had previously complained about safety and had walked off set in protest just one day before the shooting. On October 21, after returning from lunch, the assistant director Dave Halls handed the weapon to Baldwin, saying, “Cold gun,” indicating it was safe to use. The scene required Baldwin to aim the revolver directly at the camera, where Hutchins and Souza stood.

Prosecutors initially charged the actor with involuntary manslaughter but dropped the charges in April 2023, noting that they may re-file. They did so in January 2024, and a grand jury returned an indictment after hearing new evidence resulting from an analysis of the gun. Baldwin initially claimed he did not pull the trigger, but an examination of the weapon contradicted this.