SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The weapons supervisor involved in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie “Rust” pleaded guilty Monday to a separate felony charge of carrying a gun into a licensed liquor establishment.
Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed agreed to change her plea to guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence of 18 months of supervised probation.
Judge T. Glenn Ellington approved the agreement that allows Gutierrez-Reed to begin probation while serving an 18-month prison sentence in a New Mexico state prison for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halina Hutchins.
In the “Rust” case, prosecutors convicted Gutierrez-Reed of inadvertently bringing live ammunition onto the film set and failing to follow basic gun safety protocols.
Gutierrez-Reed arrived in a Santa Fe courtroom Monday in a beige jumpsuit, handcuffs and ankle shackles to change her plea to guilty and waive her right to a trial.
“I would like to apologize to the court and thank you for your decision today,” she said.
The case stems from evidence that just weeks before “Rust” was set to begin filming in October 2021, Gutierrez-Reed took a gun to a downtown bar in Santa Fe, where firearms are prohibited.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself with a handgun in the bar’s bathroom — describing in a video how she got into the banned gun, which was obtained when authorities searched the Armorer’s during a “Rust” investigation. Searched the phone.
Gutierrez-Reed was convicted at trial of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Hutchins in March. His appeal against that conviction is pending in the High Court.
“Rust” lead actor and co-producer Baldwin was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal for the film when the revolver fired, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
In July, Judge Mary Marlow Sommer dismissed an involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin midway through the trial on the grounds that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense. Morrissey has since asked the judge to reconsider.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Gutierrez-Reed is prohibited from possessing firearms, consuming alcohol or drugs during probation and is required to submit a sample of his DNA to a criminal database and complete an addiction treatment program. Must pay $180 in fees during.
Defense attorney Jason Bowles said the agreement makes it possible for Gutierrez-Reed to be released from prison as soon as June 2025 to complete probation in Arizona without having additional felony convictions on his record.
Before being led away, Gutierrez-Reed blew kisses toward the court gallery, where her mother, Stacey Reed, was sitting.
Reed said she’s grateful her daughter can begin meeting new parole requirements before being released from prison.
“He didn’t get a fair shake right from the beginning,” said Reed, who flew in from Arizona for the hearing.
