‘Rust’ Trial Begins With Prosecutor Faulting Armorer’s ‘Sloppy’ Conduct
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SANTA FE, N.M. — The trial of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed began Thursday with prosecutor Jason Lewis arguing that her “sloppy” and “unprofessional” conduct led to the death of the film’s cinematographer.
In his opening statement, Lewis argued that Gutierrez Reed had twice failed to properly check ammunition that she loaded into Alec Baldwin’s gun.
The cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was killed when Baldwin fired a live round during blocking for a scene in October 2021. “The defendant treated the safety protocols as if they were optional rather than as if people’s lives counted on her doing her job correctly,” Lewis argued. “By failing to make those vital safety checks, the defendant acted negligently and without due caution.
The decision she made that day contributed to Ms. Hutchins’ death.” Gutierrez Reed is on trial for involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering.
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