SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – A film weapons supervisor has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for the shooting death of Alec Baldwin’s cinematographer on the set of the western movie “The Last.” Friends gave testimony that included calls for justice and punishment to hold them more accountable for safety on film sets.
Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reid Convicted in March by a jury on charges of manslaughter in the death of Director of Photography Halina Hutchins He has been held in a county jail outside Santa Fe for more than a month. Prosecutors accused Gutierrez-Reed of failing to follow basic gun safety regulations by unknowingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Lust,” which was expressly prohibited.
Gutierrez-Reed told the judge that she was not the monster that people thought she was and that she “did my best on set, even though I didn’t have the proper time, resources, and staffing.” His plea for a reduction in sentence was not accepted. ” Defense attorney Jason Bowles said in an email that Gutierrez-Reed plans to appeal her sentence and sentence.
Baldwin is the lead actor and co-producer of “Rust.” point the gun at Hutchins In October 2021, a revolver went off during rehearsals on a film set outside Santa Fe, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He is scheduled to stand trial in Santa Fe court in July.
Gutierrez-Reed’s sentence was handed down by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlow Sommer, who is overseeing the case against Baldwin. The judge said a sentence less than the maximum was not appropriate given that Gutierrez-Reed’s recklessness amounted to a serious act of violence.
“You are an armorer and someone who stands between a safe weapon and a weapon that can kill someone,” the judge told Gutierrez-Reed. “Only you turned a safe weapon into a deadly weapon. But to you, Ms. Hutchins will be alive, her husband will have a partner, and the little boy will have a mother.”
Gutierrez-Reid burst into tears when Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke of the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He said it was a chain of events that led to Hutchins’ death, and that the chain would have been broken if the armorer had done his job.
Friends and family recalled Hutchins as courageous, tenacious, caring and a “bright ray” who had the potential to achieve great things in the film industry.
“We really feel this was a case of negligence,” close friend Steven Metz testified. “This lawsuit needs to set a precedent for all other actors, cinematographers, and everyone on set whose lives are at risk due to the negligence of armorers and alleged armorers. ”
This aerial photo shows the set of the movie “The Last” at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Saturday, October 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hon, File)
Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred read a statement from Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, saying her life was split in two and time has not healed, only prolonging the pain and suffering. He said it was. A video of Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, crying was also played in court.
“Losing a child is the most painful thing. There are no words to explain it,” Solovey said in his native language.
Hutchins’ relatives in Ukraine are seeking damages for Baldwin’s death in connection with the shooting. Allred said after Monday’s hearing that his family supports his criminal prosecution.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys asked for leniency in the sentence, including the possibility of conditional release to avoid further prison time and remove the conviction from his record if certain conditions are met.
Gutierrez Reed was acquitted of charges of tampering with evidence during the “Lust” investigation. She also pleaded not guilty to another felony charge in which she allegedly brought a gun into a bar in Santa Fe, where firearms are prohibited.
Defense attorneys have emphasized Gutierrez-Reed’s relatively young age of 26 and the devastating impact the felony will have on her future life, and she has faced intense public fallout from the charges alongside her A-list status. He claimed that he would receive it permanently. actor.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the judge that the defendant’s actions on the set of “The Last” were extremely reckless, and that he designated Gutierrez-Reed a “serious violent offender” and ruled against subsequent reductions in his sentence. It called for the maximum prison sentence to be imposed to limit eligibility.
Morrissey told the judge Monday that he reviewed about 200 phone calls Gutierrez-Reed made from jail last month. She said she had hoped there would be a moment when her defendant would take responsibility for what happened or express her sincere remorse.
“That moment hasn’t come yet,” Morrissey said. “MS. Gutierrez continues to refuse to accept responsibility for her own role in Halina Hutchins’ death.”
The judge noted that a summary recording of Gutierrez-Reed’s phone conversations from prison will influence sentencing.
“Hannah says people get into accidents, people die, and that’s an unfortunate part of life, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t go to jail,” Marlow Sommer said. “The word ‘regret’ – deep regret that comes from guilt over past mistakes – that’s not you.”
The defense argued Monday that Gutierrez-Reed had remorse for Hutchins’ death and was having a mental breakdown. They also pointed to systemic problems that led to the shooting.
Last year, Lust’s assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls was sentenced to six months’ probation without supervision after pleading no contest to negligent handling of a firearm. “The Last” prop master Sarah Zachry, who shares responsibility for firearms on set, has entered into an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in return for her cooperation.
The firearms charges against Gutierrez-Reed stem from an incident at a Santa Fe bar just days before she was hired as the armorer for “The Last.” Prosecutors say the investigation into the fatal shooting uncovered a selfie video of Gutierrez-Reed bringing a gun into the bar, while the defense alleges retaliation for the prosecution.
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The spelling of the judge’s name was corrected to Mary Marlow Sommer instead of Sommer.
