Investigators are still probing the tragic incident on the set of the upcoming movie Rust where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins lost her life due to a misfire by actor Alec Baldwin. The authorities are particularly focusing on the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Gutierrez-Reed has claimed that she was unaware of how live ammunition made its way onto the set, let alone into Baldwin’s prop gun, placing blame on the producers for impeding her ability to perform her duties properly.
Her lawyers, Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence, stated, “Safety is Hannah’s number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced.”
In her defense, Gutierrez-Reed, despite being inexperienced in her role as armorer, highlighted being short-staffed, undertrained, and overridden on safety protocols by the film’s producers. The statement also pointed out that she had dual responsibilities on the film, hindering her focus on armorer duties.
Despite pushing for proper training, weapon maintenance time, and preparation time for gun-related scenes, Gutierrez-Reed was allegedly disregarded by production and her department, resulting in an unsafe production environment, including a lack of safety meetings and prior accidental discharges.
The head armorer for “Rust” is pointing fingers, claiming the real culprit is the person who introduced live rounds on the set … she says unbeknownst to her. (source)
Interestingly, experienced armorer Neal Zoromski declined an offer to work on the film after noticing concerning signs, describing the production as accident-prone, potentially supporting Gutierrez-Reed’s assertions.
Authorities are actively investigating the origin of live ammunition on the set and have seized over 500 rounds that were believed to be blanks and dummy rounds.
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