On the same day that “Rust” special prosecutors decided to formally drop charges against actor Alec Baldwin, they postponed the trial for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed related to the October 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
A virtual hearing was held on Friday, April 21. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer decided to postpone the trial for the “Rust” armorer until August to give prosecutors more time to build their case and review new details about the October 2021 incident.
Preliminary Hearing For ‘Rust’ Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Postponed Until August
On Friday, the New York Post reported that the preliminary trial hearing for “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed would take from August 9 through August 16 in New Mexico’s First Judicial District Court. This hearing will give prosecutors a chance to present key witnesses and evidence to see whether or not the case can proceed to trial.
In addition to being the armorer on set, Gutierrez-Reed was also in charge of props and was responsible for other miscellaneous duties on the set of the Western film. Prosecutors have accused her of “sloppy mishandling of firearms” while on set, which they say led to the death of Halyna Hutchins.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is the daughter of famed movie armorer Thell Reed and only has worked as an armorer on one other movie set before she was hired to oversee the weapons on the set of “Rust.”
Gutierrez-Reed was reportedly in charge of loading the Colt .45 revolver that Baldwin was holding for the church scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch outside Santa Fe in New Mexico. However, she reportedly left the church and was not present when the gun misfired and struck Halyna Hutchins. The bullet passed through her and struck director Joel Souza, resulting in his hospitalization. However, he has recovered and is returning to finish directing the feature film.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Was Not Present When Halyna Hutchins Was Shot
According to the 551-page report released by the Santa Fe Police Department, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed told police that no one informed her that they were ready to begin filming.
Although law enforcement officials obtained text messages that showed that she had tried to use live ammunition on set during another film, she insisted that the revolver Baldwin was holding for the scene was only loaded with dummy bullets.
Upon investigating the scene, law enforcement officials found a combination of dummy bullets and live rounds on set.
The report notes that the ammunition “was left on a cart on the set, not secured,” while the crew took a lunch break before filming the church scene that led to Hutchins’ death.
Lawyers For ‘Rust’ Armorer Believe She Will Be Exonerated
Lawyers for the “Rust” armorer released a statement, saying, “The new special prosecutor team has taken a very diligent and thorough approach,” adding, “They are seeking the truth and we are also.” However, they noted, “We fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated.”
Criminal charges have been temporarily dismissed for actor Alec Baldwin as the investigation continues. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, which means that he may still face criminal charges in the future.
Still, Baldwin’s attorneys said they were “pleased” that prosecutors dropped the charges against the actor just shy of his preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for May 3. “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said in a statement.
In a statement, special prosecutors Kari T. Morrissey and Jason J. Lewis admitted that “new facts were revealed” which called for “further investigation and forensic analysis.”
However, they added that the charges “may be refiled,” depending on what new information they uncover.
New Reports Show The ‘Rust’ Gun Could Fire Without The Trigger
Sources told ABC News that new reports showed that the gun Baldwin was holding had worn joints and its trigger wasn’t functioning properly. The report concluded that the gun could be fired without the trigger being pulled, contrary to findings of an FBI ballistics report completed last year.
The 65-year-old actor has insisted that he did not pull the trigger on the gun and has claimed that he does not know how live ammunition ended up on the film set, which resumed production in Montana this week. First photos from the set show Baldwin handling a shotgun on what appears to be the first day back.
