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Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed: A jury found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter

Photo: Jim Weber / AP

After Hollywood star Alec Baldwin fatally shot camerawoman Halyna Hutchins while filming the western “Rust,” the gun master was found guilty of negligent homicide on Wednesday (local time).

A jury in New Mexico reached this verdict after two hours of deliberations.

She now faces a prison sentence of up to 18 months.

Gutierrez-Reed accidentally loaded a replica revolver with a live cartridge shortly after lunch on October 21, 2021.

During subsequent film rehearsals, Baldwin pointed the gun at the camera and fired a live bullet, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Gutierrez-Reed showed no emotion as the verdict was read after the 10-day trial.

Immediately afterwards, the judge ordered that the defendant be handed over to police officers.

As the 24-year-old was led out of the courtroom, she said to her distraught mother: "I'll be fine." Her main defense attorney announced that she would appeal the verdict.

"I had the impression that the evidence was insufficient and it was a lot of speculation," said the lawyer after the decision.

During the trial, he had argued that the film's production company had tried to save costs by employing Gutierrez-Reed as both a part-time gun master and a prop master.

The New Mexico Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 2022 imposed the state's maximum fine on Rust Media Productions for violating firearm safety guidelines.

The public prosecutor's office described the armorer during the trial as "unprofessional and sloppy."

She often skipped security measures completely or took them in a rush.

She repeatedly left firearms and ammunition lying around in the open at the filming location.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted by the jury on a second charge, tampering with evidence.

Throughout the trial, witnesses, from director Souza to assistant director Dave Halls, said it was beyond imagination that live ammunition could be mixed with dummy ammunition during the production.

During the trial, prosecutors and defense attorneys argued about how the live ammunition, which is strictly forbidden on film sets, could even get to the filming location.

Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer repeatedly blamed a prop supplier.

One of the jurors told reporters after the verdict that the six women and six men on the jury believed Gutierrez brought the bullets.

"It was their job to check these cartridges and firearms."

Alec Baldwin is also charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Baldwin denies pulling the trigger on the gun.

However, an independent report came to the conclusion that this cannot be the case.

The fatal shot could only have been fired by pulling the trigger.

Baldwin's trial is scheduled for July 10.

vet/Reuters