Staff Reports
The armorer on the set of the Alec Baldwin film “Rust,” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is making a bold move to seek a new trial and immediate release from prison. Gutierrez-Reed claims that crucial evidence that could have cleared her name was withheld by the prosecution during her original trial. The incident in question occurred in October 2021 when Baldwin mistakenly fired a prop revolver containing a live round, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuries to director Joel Souza.
While Gutierrez-Reed received an 18-month prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter, her legal team now argues that undisclosed reports of toolmarks on the revolver used in the shooting could have a significant impact on her case. These supposed toolmarks were not attributed to the FBI’s testing and did not appear to be original manufacturing marks. The defense asserts that this information was pivotal and they claim that the state failed to disclose it during the trial.
'Rust' Armorer Seeks Release, Claims Prosecutors Withheld Evidencehttps://t.co/KexLnidFY5
— RedState (@RedState) July 2, 2024
Despite these new claims, it’s questionable how the presence of toolmarks on the revolver could effectively shift the blame away from Gutierrez-Reed. The fundamental lapse in firearm safety procedures on set, the failure to distinguish between live and blank rounds, and ultimately Baldwin’s reckless actions in handling the firearm all point towards a chain of errors that cannot be solely attributed to the armorer.
In the grand scheme of things, Gutierrez-Reed’s attempt to shift the focus onto the revolver’s supposed alterations may not be the game-changer she hopes for. As the trial progresses for Baldwin, it remains clear that the responsibility for the tragic outcome lies primarily with him rather than the armorer.
