Application rejected

“Rust” armorer will not be released for the time being

A judge rejected the application for the release of "Rust" weapons master Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Luis Sánchez Saturno)

Arms master Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter, will not be released for the time being. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer rejected a request for her release, as the court in Santa Fe (New Mexico) announced.

She also spoke out against a new trial. Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty by a jury in March and later sentenced to the maximum possible prison term by the judge.

Revolver loaded with live ammunition
The young woman was responsible for gun safety on the set of the western "Rust" starring Alec Baldwin. During rehearsals in October 2021, 42-year-old camerawoman Halyna Hutchins was fatally injured when a shot was fired from a prop gun operated by Baldwin.

Gutierrez-Reed had loaded the revolver, which contained live ammunition. The prosecution accused her of disregarding safety precautions and failing to check the cartridges.

The question of how the live ammunition got onto the set has still not been answered. Both Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin had repeatedly denied responsibility for the incident.

Baldwin trial dropped
Baldwin had also been charged with involuntary manslaughter in a separate trial. However, in July, Judge Sommer surprisingly discontinued the trial, which had already begun. The defense lawyers had accused the public prosecutor's office of withholding evidence and thus of gross misconduct.

Gutierrez-Reed's lawyers have filed several appeals against the guilty verdict against the master-at-arms, but have so far always failed with applications for release or a new trial.