Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the set of the ill-fated film Rust is set to plead guilty to another charge, this time of bringing a gun into a bar.
In April, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the incident in 2021. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and director Joel Souza was injured on the set of the film, when a live round was discharged from a revolver being used as a prop by Alec Baldwin.
The jury also found Gutierrez-Reed was not guilty of tampering with evidence.
Now, it has emerged that the armourer has agreed to plead guilty to bringing a gun into a bar in Santa Fe, N.M., for which she is expected to be sentenced to 18 months of probation. The plea does not alter the Rust case.
She could have faced up to 18 additional months in prison for bringing the gun into a bar, but will instead serve supervised probation from her home in Arizona.
The incident occurred at the Matador bar on October 1, 2021, about three weeks before Hutchins’ death.
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyers argued that the charge was an attempt to pressure her into pleading guilty in the manslaughter case, and into accepting responsibility for bringing live bullets onto the set, which she has denied doing.
Baldwin also faced charges for involuntary manslaughter, but these charges were dropped in April 2023 after evidence suggested the gun could have been modified, potentially causing malfunction. He went to trial, but found his case dismissed last July due to “critical” bullet evidence that the judge ruled was withheld from the court.
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyers are seeking to have her manslaughter conviction thrown out on similar grounds. Their motion for a new trial in the manslaughter case will take place on September 26. Her defense has accused special prosecutor Kari Morrissey of failing to turn over key evidence that might have influenced the outcome of the trial.
The defense has also asked that she be released from prison while awaiting the outcome of a new trial.
Baldwin recently broke his silence following his case dismissal by writing a message on social media.
“There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now,” he wrote. “To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.”
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